























































































































































































































































































































































































































































































1 



. < 







“ Blessed are they that wash their robes in the Blood of 
the Lamb.” Apoc. xxii., 14. 





























Cliaritf for lire Saffering Souls. 


An Explanation of the Catholic 
Doctrine of Purgatory. 


With a Treatise on the Archconfraternity of the Most Precious 
Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and on the Spiritual 
Benevolent Fraternity for the Relief and 



Missionary Priest of the Congregation of the Most Precious Blood. 


CINCINNATI, OHIO: 

Press of S. Rosenthal & Co., 203 Vine Street. 

1895. 









Imprimatur : 

t JOSEPH RADEMACHER, Bishop of Fori fVay?:e. 

February 2, 1895. 


Entered, according to act of Congress, in the year 1895, 

By JOHN A. A. NAGEUEISEN, C. PP. S., 

In the office of the Eibrarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C. 


(all rights reserved.) 




APPROBATIONS 




St. Pkter’s Cathedral. 

Cincinnati, November 29, 1892. 

Rev. John A. Nageleisen. 

Rev. Dear Sir :—Your book on Purgatory and the Suffering Souls— 
“ Charity for the Suffering Souls ”—has been received. 

I recommend it as an excellent book, to give nseful and interesting 
instruction on the subject of Purgatory—to enliven the faith and devo¬ 
tion of the readers, and thereby to increase their holiness and the power 
of their prayers and good works in relieving those suffering friends of 
God.—I hope it will be widely circulated, and that it will bring you great 
reward in heaven. Your servant in Christ, 

t WIkkIAM HENRY EkDER, 

Archbishop of Cincinnati. 


Milwaukee, Wis., December 2, 1892. 

Rev. a. Nageleisen. 

Rev. and Dear Sir: —Gladl3'^ do I unite with his Grace, the Most Rev. 
Archbishop of Cincinnati, in recommending to the faithful the book 
“ Charity for the Suffering Souls”—a book of instructions, very useful 
especially for all those who belong to confraternities for the Relief of the 
Poor vSouls in Purgatorj'. Yours most truly, 

t F. X. KATZER, 
Archbishop of Milwaukee. 


St. Mary’s Cathedral. 

Nashville, Tenn., February 16, 1893. 
Rev. Dear Father Nageleisen: 

It was only recently that I was enabled to examine more thoroughly 
your work entitled ” Charity for the Suffering vSouls”. Indeed, this book 
deserves to be recommended most strongly to our Catholic people. It 
explains the doctrine of Purgatory in an interesting, popular manner, 
the instructions being based throughout on the teaching of the Church 
and the declarations of our ablest theologians. The chapter treating on 
the “ Means of Helping the Poor Souls ” is especially practical. 

May the book find a wide circulation ! May it enliven and promote 
among our Catholic people the blessed and salutary devotion for the Re¬ 
lief of the Poor Souls ! With best wishes. 

Yours most truly in Christ, 

t JOSEPH RADEMACHER, 

Bishop of Nashville. 





IV 


Approbations. 


Cleveland, O., February 22, 1893. 
Rev. John A. Nageleisen, C.PP.S., Collegeville, Ind. 

Rev. Dear Sir :—Whatever serves to promote the devotion of the 
faithful towards the Poor Suffering Souls in Purgatory must meet with 
my cordial approbation. Your book on Purgatory has that for its only 
object. 

May God bless the work and obtain for it a wide circulation. Full of 
thought, full of piety and eminently practical, it ought to .secure many 
helpers for the Poor Souls in Purgatory. 

Sincerely yours in Xsto, 

t IGN. F. HORSTMANN, 

Bishop of Cleveland. 


Belleville, III., March 4, 1893. 

“Charity for the Suffering Souls’’, by Rev. John A. Nageleisen, 
C.PP.S.,—a book of instructions for those Avho are members of confrater¬ 
nities for the Relief of the Poor Souls in Purgatory—is herewith warmly 
recommended to the faithful. f J- JANSSEN, 

Bishop of Belleville. 

St. Cloud, March 29, 1894. 

Rev. John A. Nageleisen, C.PP.S., Collegeville, Ind. 

Reverend Father .-—Most cordially and with great pleasure do I here¬ 
with comply with your request, namely to recommend to the faithful your 
book “ Charity for the Suffering Souls ’’. The book contains the strong¬ 
est, most touching appeals in behalf of those Suffering Souls who are still 
united with us in the love of God. We are exhorted to assist these souls 
by offering for them, in prayer and sacrifice, the merits of the Precious 
Blood of Christ. Even now the faithful departed hear the voice of this 
Blood as the voice of reconciliation ; and they will hear it as such, to their 
complete justification, on the day of the general resurrection. It was, 
therefore, not more than proper that the book should be written by a 
member of the Congregation of the Most Precious Blood. Wishing you 
the best of success and God’s blessing for the work you have undertaken, 
I am. Reverend Father, 

Yours most truly in Christ, 

t OTTO ZARDETTI, 

Bishop of St. Cloud. 


Denver, Colo.., 255 S. Evans St., September 7, 1894. 
Rev. John A. Nageleisen: 

Your confrere, the Rev. Andrew Gietl, lately presented to me a copy 
of your book “ Charity for the .Suffering Souls ’’. As a zealous friend of 
the Poor Souls I am greatly delighted to see this splendid work making 
its appearance among our people. 

May God in His infinite goodness bless the author, as I am sure that 
the Poor Souls bless you for the sake of your charitable mediation ! It 
is in their behalf that you have undertaken this noble work. 

t N. C. MATZ, 

Bishop of Denver. 





Approbations. 


V 


Abbey New-Engelberg. 

Conception P. O., Afo., November 20, 1894. 
Rev. John A. Nageleisen, C.PP.S., Collegeville, lud. 

Reverend Father :—Please accept my sincerest thanks for your kind¬ 
ness in sending me a copy of your excellent book “ Charity for the Suffer¬ 
ing Souls Judging from what I have read of the book, I am glad to say 
that it does full honor to the title it bears—it is indeed a fountain of 
“Charity for the Suffering Souls’’. Following the doctrine of the 
Church as its guide the book portrays in a strikingly clear and interest¬ 
ing manner the helpless condition of the souls in Purgatory; it points out 
the various means that may be employed to help the poor sufferers ; and 
it explains the powerful motives that ought to induce us to lend them 
our assistance. Whoever takes up this book will, I am sure, read it not 
only once—he will read it again and again ; and the result of such read¬ 
ing will be on the one hand an ever-increasing zeal to help the Suffering 
Souls, while on the other hand it will strengthen in him that fear of the 
Lord which in Holy Scripture is called “ the beginning of wisdom ’’, and 
which will lead him to guard himself against committing even the least 
wilful sin. The book will teach him that sin is not to be looked at as a 
trifle, since it is for this very purpose—to be perfectly claused from sin— 
that the Poor Souls are detained so long in the dreadful flames of Pur¬ 
gatory. 

I therefore wish your excellent book the widest circulation among our 
Catholic people. Most gratefully yours in Xsto, 

FROWIN CONRAD, O. S. B., Abbot. 


Many books of larger or smaller size have been published treating on 
devotion in behalf of the faithful departed, all of which deserve to be 
recommended for use during the month of November, the month devoted 
to the Poor Souls in Purgatory. Nevertheless, we do not hesitate to assert 
that this Poor Souls Book probably surpasses every other book of this 
kind. The size of the volume, the thorough explanation of the doctrine 
concerning Purgatory, the many interesting examples that are narrated, 
the exposition of the various means that the faithful may make use of to 
assist the departed souls, thereby to gain for themselves a host of grate¬ 
ful friends for eternity—these are points that make the book one of the 
most useful works of instruction that have been published in our time. 
We, therefore, hope that this book, written in and destined for America, 
may find the circulation it deserves ; and that accordingly it may produce 
great results for the eternal welfare of our brethren and sisters in Pur¬ 
gatory, as ahso for the temporal and eternal welfare of their benefactors on 
earth .—[Ohio JVaisenfreund.) 

A short time ago we received from the author. Rev. John A. Nagel- 
eiseu, C.PP S., a copy of his book entitled “Charity for the Suffering 
Souls’’. It is a book of instruction on Purgatory, intended chiefly for 
those who are members of Poor Souls confraternities. Can there be a 
question of greater importance for a thoughtful, sympathetic Christian 
than that pertaining to our future life in the other world and the fate of 
those who have passed before us through the gate of death? We have 




VI 


Approbations. 


read Father Nageleisen’s Poor Souls Book, and we have found the read¬ 
ing of it highly edifying. It is an exhaustive work, a book of instruc¬ 
tion in the best sense of the word. The first part is divided into seven 
chapters treating of the following questions: “The existence of Pur¬ 
gatory; the condition of the Suffering Souls; the means of helping the 
Suffering Souls ; the motives for assisting the Suffering Souls ; gratitude 
of the Suffering Souls towards their benefactors; the heroic act of love 
for the Suffering Souls ; the apparitions of a Poor Soul in 1870 ”. Part 
second treats of “ the Archconfraternity of the Most Precious Blood ; re¬ 
marks concerning indulgences ; the Spiritual Benevolent F'raternity for 
the Relief of the Suffering vSouls ”. The book is neatly bound and com¬ 
prises 578 pages of reading matter. It is worthy of being introduced into 
every Catholic family.— {Daily Buffalo Volksfveund, December 17, 1894.) 


Charity for the Suffering Souls. A book of instruction for all 
Christians, especially for members of confraternities for the Relief of the 
Poor Souls in Purgatory. By John A. Nageleisen, C.PP.S., missionary 
priest of the Congregation of the Most Precious Blood. .578 pages, bound. 
Price $ 1 , 15 . To be obtained from The Spiritual Benevolent Fratertiity, 
Collegeville, Ind. 

This book being accompanied by the recommendations of the Most 
Rev. Archbishops Katzer and Elder, there can be no question that its 
contents are theologically correct. In this volume is embodied the best 
of what is important and interesting for Catholics to learn regarding the 
subject indicated by the title, the material for the instructions being 
gathered from various source.s—Holy Scripture, tradition, the decrees of 
ecclesiastical councils, the writings of the holy Fathers, the common 
assent of all nations. The book moreover treats of the means by which 
the Poor Souls can be aided ; and it expounds, clearly and convincingly, 
the motives that ought to induce us to help these Souls, as also their 
great and efficient’gratitude towards us for whatever relief we bring 
them, be it ever so small. But what appeals more than anything else to 
the reader’s sympathy is the holy zeal that the book breathes forth — the 
zeal that evidently directed the reverend author’s pen while he was 
writing the work. There have been many books written on this subject 
—devotion to the faithfnl departed—enough to make a good-sized library ; 
nevertheless the work we are at present noticing may be pronounced one 
of the best, most popular books of this class. And we are acquainted 
with very few works published in America that seem to be so well 
adapted to promote the true and specific sentiment and praxis of Catho¬ 
licism as this book on Purgatory and the devotion to the Poor Souls. 
Such promoting of the Catholic cause seems to be greatly needed, con¬ 
sidering the levelling, liberalizing, secularizing — yes, we might almost 
say, protestantizing—tendency of our day. We trust that this excellent 
book maybe introduced for diligent use into a large number of Catholic 
families in America.— The Spiritual Benevolent Frate> nity of College¬ 
ville, Ind., has also just begun the publication of a monthly magazine 
devoted to the interests of said Fraternity, under the following title: 
The Messenger of the Spiritual Benevolent Fraternity. We he.'ewith 
recommend this magazine to the favorable notice of our readers.— 
[Wanderer, December 5, 1894.) 



PREFACE. 


HE Omnipotent Word of God, which in the be- 
ginning called forth from nothing this magnifi¬ 
cent universe, which even penetrated the tomb 
and compelled death to deliver up its victims; this 
divine Word which on the Day of Judgment will echo 
from the rising of the sun to the going-down thereof 
and summon the dead of all nations to receive retribu¬ 
tion : this Divine and Omnipotent Word is even now 
heard by the dead proclaiming to them pardon and 
deliverance from the pains of Purgatory. “Amen, 
amen, I say unto you, that the hour cometh, and now 
is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son 
of God: and they that hear shall live.” (John v, 25.) 

To move this Omnipotent Word to grant pardon 
and deliverance to the Suffering Souls in considera¬ 
tion of the suffrages of the faithful on earth—such 
is the object of the following treatises. They are to 
induce the reader to hasten by his prayer the blessed 
hour when his brethren and sisters in Purgatory shall 
hear the summons of the Son of God, “Go forth from 
your torments; go forth, your punishment is remit¬ 
ted. Enter into the joy of your Eord.” 



Vlll 


Preface, 


It is, alas, undeniably true that the great majority 
of men are but little interested in the Suffering Souls 
who so ardently desire help. Some neglect this duty 
because they are infidels. They deny the existence of 
Purgatory, and consequently they do not believe that 
the faithful can aid the souls confined in it. Besides 
the infidels, who judge all things religious according 
to their own limited views, those also deny the middle 
state, who are separated from the communion of the 
Catholic Church. Others neglect to assist the Suffer¬ 
ing Souls because they have no true conception of 
this duty, nor of the great advantages to be gained 
by performing this work of charity. Those separated 
from the Church do not help the Poor Souls because 
they do not believe in Purgator}^; and many negligent 
Catholics, despite their belief in this doctrine, do not 
aid the Suffering Souls because they consider it too 
inconvenient to do so. 

The disbelief in the existence of Purgatory and 
the neglect of prayer for the captive souls detained in 
it are both very harmful. Disbelief is in conflict with 
the doctrine of the Catholic Church, which from the 
earliest ages has taught the existence of a middle 
state and the efficacy of prayer for the dead; neglect 
of this prayer is contrary to the general duty of char¬ 
ity, wdiich obliges us to come to the aid of our fellow- 
man when and wherever we can. How ungrateful of 
us and how detrimental to the Suffering Souls, if we 


Preface. 


IX 


Catholics refuse them this Christian charity either 
because we are ignorant of it or do not sufficiently 
esteem it! In order to remedy as far as possible this 
hurtful disregard of duty, we have collected in this 
volume the most important and instructive points 
concerning the doctrine of Purgatory. The sources 
from which these points have been gathered are Holy 
Scripture, tradition, the decrees of the Church, the 
writings of the Holy Fathers, the unanimous assent 
of all nations, and even the writings of non-Catholics. 
The means by which we can aid the Suffering Souls 
are extensively treated, especially the expiatory value 
of Holy Mass; various popular questions are explained 
at length; the motives for practicing the devotion to 
the Suffering Souls and the gratitude of these souls 
towards their benefactors are comprehensively dis¬ 
cussed—all this with a view to enkindle our zeal for 
this charitable work. 

As deeds always impress more deeply than words, 
the instructions are frequently illustrated by exam- 
pies; but only such examples have been admitted 
as are of undoubted authenticity. In our times a 
spurious belief in spiritualism is rampant throughout 
the world. Thousands and thousands belong to so- 
called spiritualistic circles and are so being led astray 
by evil spirits. Our spiritualistic belief is essentially 
' true and Catholic, because it is based on the authority 
of divine faith: namely, we believe in God, in 


X 


Preface. 


the immortality of the soul, in guardian angels, in 
the saints, and in a Purgatory in the next world. 
May the belief in this spiritualistic doctrine gain more 
and more adherents ! And would that every Catholic 
were filled with fervent, heroic zeal for this work of 
charity—how many Poor Souls would then be released 
from their painful captivity! Thereby the number of 
saints in heaven would be increased to the greater 
glory of God, while at the same time the salvation of 
souls here on earth would be greatly promoted. 

Concerning the extraordinary events related in 
this book the author declares, in conformity with a 
decree of Pope Urban VIII., that he claims for them 
only human credence, excepting such as are favored 
with the authoritative decision of the Church. Cre¬ 
dence derived from human testimony may however 
furnish us with the same certitude concerning the 
truth of a question as does human science, provided 
the credibility of the person stating a fact is beyond 
doubt. When once it is established that the condi¬ 
tions required to make a certain fact credible have all 
been fulfilled, then it is clear that a doubt concerning 
the truth of that fact is no longer reasonable. When 
the trustworthiness of the witnesses cannot be called 
in question—that is, when it is proved that they knew 
the fact to be true and were willing to testify to its 
truth ; when we are sure that we have received an 
authentic account of the event—then deception is 


Preface. 


XI 


impossible; and in such cases human testimony is 
perfectly reliable. Among the great number of oc¬ 
currences relating to the Suffering Souls we have 
selected only the most pertinent, and of these again 
the best authenticated. 

Finally, in order to induce the reader to make 
practical use of the instructions contained in this 
volume and because the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is 
the principal and most effective means of helping the 
Suffering Souls, we concluded to add to this work an 
explanation of the aim and object of the Archcon- 
frafernity of the Most Precious Blood for the Relief of 
the Suffering Souls, and of the Spiritual Benevolent 
Fraternity instituted for the same purpose. These 

t 

instructions are followed by a selection of prayers cal¬ 
culated to assist pious souls in their devotions for the 
relief and ransom of their suffering brethren. 

Who can describe the ecstacy, the heavenly joy 
with which our souls will be enraptured, when we 
shall meet in the realms of bliss a parent, a brother or 
sister, a friend or acquaintance, whose release from 
Purgatory we obtained by our suffrages, whose en¬ 
trance into everlasting glory we hastened by our 
prayers! Most sweet indeed is the consolation con¬ 
tained in the doctrine of our holy religion which 
teaches us that true love, founded in God, is not ex¬ 
tinguished by death, but gains its realization in and 
through God; and that by this love, which is the 


Xll 


Preface. 


bond of perfection, the Church suffering, the Church 
triumphant and the Church militant are made one 
family, one body, united for a diversity of ministra¬ 
tions under one Head, Christ our Lord. 

May these treatises move fervent and charitable 
hearts to hasten to the Fountain of the Most Precious 
Blood, to draw down its cooling dew on the Suffering 
Souls. 

The author formally declares that he submits 
everything contained in this volume to the infallible 
judgment of the Holy Catholic Church, whose office 
it is to scrutinize and approve whatever is taught 
as Catholic doctrine. In her saving communion he 
hopes to live and die. 

The Author. 

St. Joseph's College^ 

Collegeville, Indiana. • 


CONTENTS 


Page. 

Approbations. iii 

Preface. vii 

CHAPTER 1. 

The Existence oe Purgatory. 

§ 1. Eternity. 1 

§ 2. Purgatory. 5 

§ 8. Sentiment. 9 

§ 4. Reason. 10 

^ 5. The Unanimous Concurrence of all Nations in the 

Belief in Purgatory. 14 

§ 6. Opponents of Purgatory. 17 

§ 7. Uninterrupted Tradition of the Church and Pur¬ 
gatory . 28 

? 8. Divine Revelation and Purgatory. 26 

CHAPTER II. 

The Condition of the Suffering Soues in Purgatory. 

^ 9. The Spiritual Condition of the Suffering Souls. ... 84 

^10. Spiritual Torments of the Suffering Souls. 41 

11. The Suffering Souls’ Pain of Sense. 46 

§12. Other Punishments of Purgatory,. 49 

§ 18. Consolations in Purgatory. 58 

§ 14. The Duration of Purgatory. 60 

§ 15. The Location of Purgatory. 66 

§16. Credibility of Apparitions of Departed Souls. 68 

CHAPTER III. 

. On the Means of Reeieving the Suffering Soues. 

§17. On the Means of Relief in General. 75 

§ 18. Catholic Burial. 79 

§19. Prayer. 85 

(xiii) 























XIV 


Contents. 


Page. 

^ 20, Official Prayer of the Church for the Suffering 

Souls. 

\ 21. The Blessed Virgiu Mary and the Suffering Souls 100 

\ 22. The Saints and the Suffering Souls. 107 

^ 23, The Angels and the Suffering Souls.... .113 

\ 24. Confraternities for the Relief of the Suffering 

Souls. 118 

^ 25. The Efficacy of Holy Water in Behalf of the Suffer¬ 
ing Souls. 131 

^ 2G. The Burning of Blessed Candles is Beneficial to the 

Suffering Souls. 137 

^ 27. Effect of Indulgences on the Suffering Souls. 140 

\ 28. Fasting for the Benefit of the Suffering Souls. 148 

\ 29. Alms-deeds Release the Suffering Souls. 154 

I 30. Offering Holy Communion for the Suffering Souls 

is Most Beneficial to Them .. 1G7 

^ 31. The State of Grace is Necessary to Make Good 

Works Profitable to the Suffering Souls. 175 

^ 32. The Holy Sacrifice of Mass is the Most Powerful 

Means of Aiding the Suffering Souls. 179 

^ 33, Value and Importance of Holy Mass for the Re¬ 
lease of the Suffering Souls. 18G 

^ 34, Mass is the Renewal of the Sacrifice of the Cross 

for the Consolation of the Suffering Souls.192 

I 35. Holy Mass is Essentially a Propitiatory Sacrifice 

for the Faithful Departed. .. 199 

^ 3G. Application of the Fruits of Holy Mass to the Suf¬ 
fering So-uls in Purgatory. 204 

\ 37. The Mass of Requiem. 214 

^ 38. Pligh Mass of Requiem. 219 

^ 39. What is more Profitable and Meritorious—to have 
Masses Celebrated for Ourselves during Life, or 

after Death ?. 223 

^ 40. What Amount of Punishment is Remitted b}" a 

Holy Mass?. 227 

41, Is the Celebration of Low or Private Masses Per¬ 

mitted ?. 231 

42. The Relative Value of One High Mass and Five 

Private Masses. 238 
























Contents. 


XV 


Page. 

\ 43. The Fruits of Holy Mass are not Granted Exclu¬ 
sively to the Soul for wdiom the Sacrifice is Offered 25G 
2 44. What Formulas does the Church Use in Masses for 

the Dead?. 260 

§ 45. On what Days are Requiem Masses Permitted?. . .. 263 
^ 46. What is Better—to Wait for a Day on which the 
Mass of Requiem is Permitted, or to have the 

Mass of the Day Said for the Deceased?. 264 

\ 47. What is Better — to Found one or more Masses 
for our Deceased, or to Devote the Amount to 
Manual Stipends ?•. 270 

48. What is a Privileged Altar?... 274 

\ 49. What is Meant by a Memento? . 276 

2 50. What is Requisite to Have a Mass Celebrated for 

the Faithful Departed?. 280 

^ 51. Is there a Special Fruit Derived from Masses Cele¬ 
brated in Gratitude towards Benefactors?. 286 

CHAPTER IV. 

On the Motives for Heeping the Suffering Soues. 

^ 52. General Motives for Helping the Suffering Souls. . 305 

I 53. Motives Relating to God. 312 

§ 54. Motives Relating to the Suffering Souls.. 327 

55. Motives Relating to Ourselves.346 

56. Motives Relating to this Devotion Itself. 362 

CHAPTER V. 

Gratitude of the Suffering Soues. 

% 

\ 57. The Suffering Souls show their Gratitude by Pray¬ 
ing for their Benefactors. 384 

§ 58. The Gratitude of the Suffering Souls towards their 
Benefactors is Manifested Interiorly and Ex¬ 
teriorly. 401 

^ 59. The Suffering Souls Aid their Benefactors in Tem¬ 
poral Affairs.410 

\ 60, The Holy Souls Assist their Benefactors in the 

Affairs of Salvation. 429 

\ 61. The Suffering Souls Assist their Benefactors in 

Death and before the Tribunal of Judgment. 445 




















XVl 


Contents. 


CHAPTER VI. 

The Heroic Act of Charity for the Suffering Soues. 


\ G2, What is the Heroic Act of Charity for the Suffering 

Souls ?.. . 453 

\ 63. The Practice of the Heroic Act of Charity. 468 

\ 64. Motives for Making the Heroic Act of Charity. 486 

^ 65. Indulgences and Privileges of the Heroic Act of 

Charity... 407 


CHAPTER VII. 

Apparitions of a Suffering Soue in 1870 .. ■. 503 

APPENDIX I. 

The Archconfraternity of the Most Precious Beood of 


Our Lord Jesus Christ for the Reeief and Ran¬ 
som OF THE Suffering Soues in Purgatory. 

I. The Archconfraternity of the Most Precious Blood . 510 

Indulgences and Privileges. 523 

Special Privileges of Priests. 520 

II. Remarks on Indulgences. 532 

HI. The Spiritual Benevolent P'raternity for the Relief 

of the Suffering Souls. 541 

Rules of the Spiritual Benevolent Fraternity. 555 


APPENDIX II. 

• Prayers for the Suffering Soues. 

I. Seven Offerings of the Most Precious Blood. 561 

II. Litany of the Most Precious Blood. 563 

HI. The Way of the Cross .... ‘. 567 

IV. The Holy Rosary. 572 

V. Ejaculatory Prayers With Indulgences for the Suf¬ 
fering Souls. 575 




















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. , ... .•::V 



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■ ff* 

IJT. . . ^. i? ^ ^ 

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V. •- -■ ., ^ '"'JV 







CHAPTER I. 

The Existence of Purgatory. 


§ 1. Eternity. 

1. There is no doubt'but that the question of our 
existence after death is the most important and con¬ 
sequential of all questions. It is the fundamental 
question of life, decisive of our eternal destiny. There¬ 
fore it ever was, and must be, the ultimate and essential 
purpose of Religion to answer this question. 

Eternal thanks to Our Divine Redeemer! We Catho¬ 
lics have the reasons of the faith that is in us implanted 
deeply in our hearts. Christ, “the Way, the Truth 
and the Life,” who dispels all darkness, lifted the veil 
that covers the next world and expressed Himself in 
the- most emphatic manner that annihilation is not 
our destiny, but that we are created for an everlasting 
life, either of bliss or of torment. “And these shall 
go into everlasting punishment: but the just into life 
everlasting.” (Matth. xxv. 46.) 

2. The body, taken from the earth, returns to dust; 
but the soul, the spirit breathed into man by his Creator, 
appears, after death, before God’s tribunal to be judged. 
The soul is immaterial, invisible, a spirit, created in 
the likeness of God, and immortal. As a child that re¬ 
sembles its parents is the image of its father or mother. 



Chapter I. 


because it has similar features, etc., thus man is the 
image of God, because he possesses similar (not the 
same) attributes as God. “And God created man to 
His own image.” (Gen. i. 27.) Like God, man was 
to be pure, immaculate, an heir of the kingdom of 
heaven; he was to be gifted with great knowledge and 
to be free from concupiscence, misery, pain, and 
even from death. Thus was the being, which is by 
nature an immortal spirit, endowed with reason and 
free will, gifted by the Creator with supernatural quali¬ 
ties. But sin destroyed the work of God. It dishonored 
heaven and thinned out the ranks of the angels; it 
destro3’ed paradise and man’s eternal happiness, until 
the former was regained and the latter restored b}' the 
Son of God at the price of His Most Precious Blood. 

3. JOvSeph was the savior of Egypt from famine: 
Jesus Christ became the Saviour of mankind from 
eternal damnation. Jo.seph was persecuted by his 
brethren, ill-treated b}' them and sold for twenty pieces 
of silver: Jesus was betrayed b^" Judas, denied b^' Peter, 
and sold for thirty pieces of silver. After man}" trials 
and tribulations Joseph was placed over all Egypt, for 
Pharao said to him: “Seeing God hath shewed thee all 
thou hast said, can I find one wiser and one like unto 
thee? Thou shalt be over my house, and at the com¬ 
mandment of they mouth all the people shall obey: only 
in the kingly throne will I be above thee. And again 
Pharao .said to Joseph: Behold I have appointed thee 
over the whole land of Egypt. And he took his ring 
from his own hand, and gave it into his hand: and he 
put upon him a robe of silk, and put a chain of gold 
about his neck. And he made him go up into his 
second chariot, the crier proclaiming that all should 


'fhe K.xistence of Purgatory. 


f) 


bow their knee before him, and that they should know 
he was made governor of the whole land of Egypt. 
And the king said to Joseph: I am Pharao; without 
thy commandment no man shall move hand or foot in 
all the land of Egypt. And he turned his name, and 
called-him in the Egyptian tongue the Saviour of the 
world.” (Gen. xli. 39—45.) Now Joseph had power 
over life and death in the land of Egypt. To him all 
had to go that desired to escape the pangs of hunger; 
even his father and his brethren had to bow before him 
and accept of him the necessaries of life. Pharao’s 
order was, “Go to Joseph!” Although Joseph opened 
the full granaries and provided Egypt with bread, yet 
those only were .saved that made personal application 
to him and received the gift out of his own hand. 
Therefore all the people flocked to him ; old and young, 
relatives and strangers, friends and foes, flocked to him 
from all countries to purchase provisions. 

4. Our Lord Jesus Chri.st also had to suffer, and 
His sufferings were greater than those of Joseph in 
Egv^pt, because He was to be the Saviour of all mankind 
from eternal death. But He showed Him.self as the 
“Wonderful,” as the valiant Hero of whom Lsaias fore¬ 
tells, “The people that walked in darkne.ss have .seen a 
great light: to them that dwelt in the region of the 
shadow of death, light is risen.” (I.sai. ix. 2.) “For a 
Child is born to us, and a .son is given us, and the govern¬ 
ment is on his shoulder, and his name shall be called 
Wonderful, Coun.sellor, God, the Mighty, the Father 
of the'world to come, the Prince of peace. His empire 
shall be multiplied, and there shall be no end of peace: 
he shall sit upon the throne of David, and upon his 
kingdom, to e.stablish it and strengthen it with judgment 


4 


Chapter /. 


* 

and with justice from henceforth and forever.” (Isai. 
IX. 6 , 7.)—Jesus “received from God the Father honor 
and glory, this voice coming down to Him from the 
excellent glory: This is my beloved Son, in whom I 
have pleased myself; hear ye Him.” (ii Peter i. 17.) 
—Jesus says of Himself: “All power is given to me in 
heaven and on earth.” (Matth. xxviii. 18.)—“For which 
cause God also hath exalted Him, and has given Him 
a name which is above all names: that in the name of 
Jesus every knee should bow of those in heaven, on 
earth and under the earth.” (Philip, ii. 9, 10.) His vic¬ 
tory was accomplished in sacrificial death. Redemption 
was achieved when Jesus, in view of heaven and eartlr, 
exclaimed dying on the cross, “It is consummated.” 
(John XIX. 30.) 

5. Then death, man’s eternal ruin caused b}^ sin, 
was overcome through the victory of Christ, and life 
was restored by Him “Who was delivered up for our 
sins and rose again for our justification.” (Rom. iv. 25.) 
The power of darkness was destroyed; mankind was 
delivered from disgraceful captivity; the abj'ss of hell 
was closed and the gates of paradise were reopened. 
Christ’s treasury of atonement is superabundant and 
for ever inexhaustible; it is not diminished or depleted 
even if millions upon millions draw from it grace 
upon grace, health and strength, light and life. As all 
the country flocked to Joseph, thus do men “of all 
nations, and tribes, and peoples” (Apoc. vii. 9.) come 
to Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world, to obtain the 
eternal heritage of heaven. Without the command of 
chaste Joseph “no man shall move hand or foot in all 
the land of Egypt;” without the will of Jesus Christ 
no man shall enter paradise recovered for us by Him. 


The Existence of Purgatory. 


To attain salvation all must obey Him; we must per¬ 
sonally use the means of grace instituted and ordained 
by Him; we must, moreover, co-operate with the 
graces He grants us. On this depends our eternal 
destiny. 

Eternity ! Eternity!—Heaven or Hell, one of the tAvo 
AA^e mu.st choose by our lives. Because “the unjust”— 
such either b}^ transgression or through unsatisfied 
justice — “shall not possess the kingdom of God” (i 
Cor. VI. 9.), the ineffable mercy of God, in consideration 
of the merits of Jesus Christ, created, in the next Avorld, 
a place of purification for those Avho, at the time of 
their death, are not entirely pure: this place is called 
Purgatory. 

^ 2. Purgatory. 

6. BetAveen Hea\^en, “the place of refreshment, 
light and peace,” and Hell, the abode of eternal torment, 
tnere is, till the day of general judgment, a middle 
state, called Purgatory, for those souls that depart this 
life justified, but still in need of final purification. In 
this place of punishment and purification, of justice 
and mere}', dwell the souls that have venial sins to 
expiate, or temporal punishment to undergo, or both. 
The doctrine of the Catholic Church concerning Pur¬ 
gatory is expressed in the folloAving tAvo sentences: 

1) There is, in the next world, a temporary place 
for the atonement of such A^enial sins, and temporal 
punishments of sin, as man is found guilty of on his 
departure from this Avorld. 

2) The faithful can, by prayer and good AA^orks, 
especially by the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, assist the 
souls suffering in Purgatory. 


6 


Chapter I. 


Concerning the location of Purgatory, the nature of 
its torments, the extent of its suffering, etc., the Church 
has made no official declarations, hence only the two 
above sentences are dogmas which we must believe 
under pain of excommunication. Neverthele.ss we 
should be guilty of- culpable temerity if we were to 
reject the generally accepted doctrine of the holy 
Fathers and of notable spiritual writers relative to 
some other points concerning Purgator}'. 

7. In connection with the Catholic doctrine con¬ 
cerning Purgatory it is necessary to bear in mind the 
doctrine of remission of sins. With the remission of 
mortal sin there is neces.saril3' connected the remission, 
of its eternal punishment. But the case stands quite 
differently with regard to the te^riporal punishment of 
sin which God permits to remain even after the remis- 
.sion of its guilt. The sinner who committed a mortal 
sin and thereby became an enem\" of God becomes, 
through the sacrament of penance, a friend, a child of 
God; his eternal punishment is condoned, but a tem¬ 
poral punishment remains. It is, however, the gen¬ 
eral doctrine of theologians that at least a part of the 
temporal punishment is remitted, ever>' time, in the 
tribunal of penance, and that this part is in proportion 
to the contrition and penitent disposition of the repent¬ 
ant sinner. The remaining part must be atoned for 
in this world b^’ penance, or in the next by the tor¬ 
ments of Purgator}'. 

8. Both the temporal punishment 3^et due to sin 
remitted, and the stain of venial sin \^et unremitted are, 
in the sight of God, a defilement of the soul. Venial 
sin, to which man is so prone, is not remitted by 
merely external works of penance without true con- 


The Existence of Purgatory. 7 

trition; its remission depends on the interior disposi¬ 
tion of the penitent soul, on perfect charity, patience 
and resignation to the will of God. “Whether remis¬ 
sion is obtained gradually by means of repeated acts,” 
says Deharbe {^Explanation of the Catechism^ vol, ii. 
p. 409) “or at the parting of the soul from the 
body through one act of perfect charity, is a question 
on which theologians do not agree. Suarez defends 
the latter opinion, because such an act is followed by 
an increase of charity or sanctifying grace, and may be 
made so perfectly as to cleanse the soul from every 
inclination to sin.” 

9. We must not, however, conclude from this that 
all souls shall be excluded from the beatific vision of 
God until they shall have passed through the fiery 
furnace of Purgatory. Such a view is untenable. Un¬ 
questionably true as it is that many souls are banished 
forever from the presence of God immediately after the 
particular judgment, it cannot, on the other hand, be 
denied that they that were cleansed from all their faults 
in this life, soar up, after the particular judgment, into 
the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of peace, whose inha¬ 
bitants are blissful in love. 

Moreover, from the fact that a soul is sentenced to 
chastisement in Purgator}’' the conclusion is not to be 
drawn that it will be inferior in heavenly glory to souls 
admitted to heaven without undergoing purification by 
fire. The most precious stones and metals sometimes 
need longer and more thorough purification than less 
valuable ones. The degree of their value depends on 
their interior worth and not on the dross and corrosion 
that surrounds them. Thus also the degree of heavenly 
glory depends on the merit of each saint. Thus it may 


8 


Chapter I. 


happen that souls eminent for works of penance and 
full of merit, may nevertheless have to remain in Pur¬ 
gatory longer, and yet, after their purification, they 
may attain to a higher degree of glory than such as 
were not in need of purification. Each one shall 
receive his reward according to his merit, after having 
paid the last farthing of his debt, being “ purified as if 
by fire.” 

lo. The religious innovators of the last centuries, 
by denying the existence of Purgatory, made an 
attempt indefensible both before the tribunal of reli¬ 
gion and of reason. They desire to replace this con¬ 
soling doctrine by one more pleasing to the “ father of 
lies,”' onl}" for the sake of innovation, and instigated by 
pride, avarice, envy, sensuality, etc. The rebels dare 
to weigh God’s mercy and judgment in the scales of 
their darkened reason. By rejecting prayer for the 
dead and the doctrine of temporal punishment of sin, 
they disrupt one of the most sacred bonds with which 
faith has encircled mankind, viz. the communion of 
saints. The Church militant, suffering and triumphant 
in its entirety composes the mystical body of Christ, 
who is the Head, whilst the faithful are the members. 
The departed, then, who died in the Lord, are an 
integral part of this great mystical body, either as 
saints in heaven, or as suffering souls in Purgatory. 
But the misguided innovators have only the darkness 
of the grave to place between the human heart and its 
departed loved ones. Their presumption is condemned 
by divine revelation and the constant tradition of the 
Church, by the unanimous belief of all nations, and Iw^ 
Non-Catholics themselves, by reason and by sentiment. 
Leaving these gloomy and rebellious men to deny the 


The Existence of Purgatory. 


5) 

Suffering Souls a prayer, we shall seek to prove in the 
following pages how all nations and all ages concur in 
the sentiment: “ There is a Purgatory ; and ‘it is there¬ 
fore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the 
dead, that they may be loosed from sins.’ ” (II. Mach. 
XII., 46.) 

^ 3. Sentiment. 

11. Like unto a mourning dove, the beloved 
Spouse of Christ, the Church, never interrupts her 
sighs and prayers for the faithful departed until they 
have arrived in the port of eternal bli.ss. She renews, 
in Holy Ma.ss our Divine Redeemer’s sacrificial death, 
offering it up to His Heavenly Father; she invites the 
Church triumphant and the Church militant to join in 
persevering prayer for the Church suffering. What a 
consolation for the dying, what a reassurance for the 
living to profess a religion .so comforting : consoling to 
the dying who, though cleansed from all mortal sin by 
the hoi}" sacraments, yet are uncertain whether they 
shall be found sufficiently pure, and worthy of heaven, 
but rest a.ssured that the Church triumphant and mili¬ 
tant will come to their aid after death ; comforting for 
their surviving friends, because they continue to show 
them their affection in case they should stand in need 
of their assistance in the purifying flames.—Hence we 
can never be sufficiently thankful to God for'having 
called us to a religion whose maternal care, charity 
and zeal goes beyond the confines of onr earthly pil¬ 
grimage and follows us even after onr eyes have been 
closed in death. 

12. How sorely we feel the parting from our dear 
When the dying husband bids farewell to his 


ones ! 


10 


Chapter I. 


loving wife, recommending himself to her prayers; 
when affectionate children stand around the death-bed 
of a dear mother, listening to her parting words ; when 
the death of a dear friend is announced to us, we are 
overwhelmed‘with sorrow ; the smart of parting well- 
nigh breaks our heart. At such moments religion, 
with its heavenly consolation, comes to our aid, ex¬ 
horting us to lift up our hands in supplication to our 
brethren of the Church triumphant, to distribute with 
liberal charity among our suffering dear ones our pray¬ 
ers, alms and suffrages. How beautiful is this faith, 
how consoling this doctrine of the communion of 
saints ! 

Therefore, Christian soul, do not abandon yourself 
to sorrow; follow the advice of St. Paul, “ Do not 
mourn as those who have no hope.” Remember the 
parting words of St. Monica to her son, St. Augustine, 
” Remember me at the altar of God!” Glancing at 
the battlefield of the Machabees, make an act of faith 
in the existence of Purgatory, saying with the inspired 
writer, “It is a holy and w’holesome thought to pray 
for the dead that they may be loosed from sins.” 

^ 4. Reason. 

13. Reason, when assisted by the higher light of 
revelatfon, gives us satisfactory evidence of the existence 
of a middle state,, and, to our consolation, compels us to 
profess our belief in it. Our dissenting brethren ask : 
Why is it that souls who departed this life in the state 
of grace must nevertheless suffer so severely ? Wh}^ 
must they, after having devoted their earthly career to 
true love of God, to the renunciation of all wickedness 


The Existence of Purgatory. 11 

and worldly aspirations, after living in self-denial, 
justice and piety, why mirst they nevertheless suffer, 
why are they denied entrance into eternal bliss ?—Let 
the inquirer rest assured that if it were not necessary, 
God would not permit it; for He finds no pleasure in 
the misfortune and pain of man, but in his salvation 
and eternal happiness. As a father will not hurt his 
child except in case of necessit^q thus also our 
Heavenly Father will not hurt us except it be neces¬ 
sary for our true welfare. 

14. God-fearing persons conscientiously avoid 
mortal sin ; yet, either from a want of due vigilance 
or from human frailty, they commit venial faults 
which, trifling as they may appear, are punished by 
God; for Jesus says ; “But I say to you, that every 
idle word that men shall speak, they shall render an 
account for it in the day of judgment.” '(Matth. xii. 36.) 
True, we know that these venial faults are blotted out 
by an act of contrition, and that they are remitted by 
voluntary acts of penance, as well as in confession : 
but nevertheless, may a person not be overtaken by 
death before having thus blotted them out, even before 
thinking of doing so?—Then, when appearing before 
the tribunal of God, the soul is immediately confronted 
with its unatoned faults, and remembers with sorrow 
and terror its delinquencies. It acknowledges as 
supremely just the sentence of God condemning it to 
the purifying flames of Purgatory. And how will they 
fare whose faults approach in dangerous proximity to 
mortal sin ?—It is related of a poor woman that she 
sometimes covertly permitted her cow to graze in a 
neighbor’s field. It was rarely done, for she was very 
conscientious. The damage caused .amounted to, 


12 


Chapier I. 


perhaps, twenty cents a year. But as she continued 
the practice for nearly twenty years, the amount 
finally reached the sum of four dollars. Simple- 
minded as she was, she never thought of this. She 
died and appearing before her Judge, was reminded 
of her indebtness. She is confused, can scarcely believe 
that she owes such a sum, but nevertheless it is so. In 
sorrow and contrition she acknowledges her fault, and 
goes to Purgatory for it. 

We so often have little regard for small matters, and 
are thereby led to contract bad habits. Many a person 
is accustomed to complain of his hard lot and to regard 
himself as less fortunate than his neighbors : this is a \ 
fault which must be atoned for. Another is over-sensi¬ 
tive, and hangs his head when contradicted; or he is 
talkative and mixes in every conversation ; or he is 
morose and vindictive, prone to making sharp remarks ; 
another has contracted the habit of making only half 
genuflections before the Blessed Sacrament, etc., etc.; 
all these faults must be atoned for. Thus there is a 
number of faults, bad habits, weaknesses and negli¬ 
gences, of which even good Christians are guilty : they 
must be atoned for. For of heaven Holy Scripture 
says: “There shall not enter into it anything defiled.” 
(Apoc. xxr. 27.) Pure as gold chastened by fire must 
the soul be before it can be admitted to the beatific 
vision of God. 

15. There are others who have been guilty of 
mortal sins, but returned to God before their death by 
a true conversion, obtaining forgiveness of their sins 
and remission of eternal punishment in the sacrament 
of Penance. Divine justice nevertheless demands satis¬ 
faction for these remitted sins; some temporal punish- 


The Existence of Purgatory. KJ 

nient is due to them. This we see in Moses, Aaron and 
David, in St. Peter and in St. Mary Magdalen: God 
had forgiven them their sins together with the eternal 
punishment due to them ; He Himself, or His prophets 
had assured them of pardon: yet He punished David 
by the death of the son born to him (in Kings, xii. 14.); 
He punished Moses and Aaron by denying them 
entrance into the promised land (Numbers xx. 12.). 
All these servants of God, though freed from the guilt 
and eternal punishment of their sins, continued never¬ 
theless to deplore them all their lives, and to atone for 
the temporal punishment due to them by penance. Yet, 
who can say whether they ever attained to a point when 
they could say truly: Now we have destro3^ed all the 
evil effects of our sins in ourselves and in others? Ac¬ 
cording to the words of Christ, “Thou shall not go out 
from thence till thou repa^’ the last farthing.” (Matth. 
V. 26.) 

Many die when they have scarcely begun their 
penance, others in the midst of it, others again at its 
end. Maii}^ a one who continued all through life in 
his wickedness, returns to God on his death-bed; he 
makes an act of contrition, confesses his sins and re¬ 
ceives absolution, and feels happ}' at the thought that 
the burden of guilt is lifted from his soul. He dies, . 
and is not condemned; but on his death-bed he neg¬ 
lected voluntarx^ satisfaction and hence he is sentenced 
to undergo punishment in Purgatory. Entire satis¬ 
faction may be rendered in a short time: the Good 
Thief on the cross rendered sufficient satisfaction in 
his last moments to be admitted immediately into para¬ 
dise. But many render but little satisfaction during a 
long time ; numbers of people die without having even 


14 


Chapter I. 


atoned for the sins of their youth : they must atone in 
Purgatory. 

16. There is no doubt that in all these cases each 
one receives a gracious sentence ; that all are saved 
because they died in the grace of God: but can they 
enter heaven immediately? No; “there shall not enter 
into it anything defiled.” Hence they are debarred 
from the beatific vision of God until they shall have 
been purified, and have rendered satisfaction to 
Divine Justice. Having glorified His mercy, God now 
illustrates His justice in them. This being so, we are 
compelled to admit the existence of a middle state, 
where the just undergo temporal punishment and render 
satisfaction. This is impossible either in heaven or in 
hell. In heaven there is no pain or punishment; in 
hell torment and punishment is everlasting: there sin 
is avenged, but not atoned for. Therefore the just, who 
as yet are not worthy of heaven, but saved from hell, 
must undergo their purification in a middle state, where 
Cxod cleanses them by punishment and thus renders 
them capable of His beatific vision. 

Hence reason, praising God’s mercy and justice, 
unites with the Catholic Church in the joyful declara¬ 
tion ; “There is a Purgatory, and ‘therefore it is a holy 
and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they 
may be loosed from sins.’ ” 

^ 5. The Unanimous Concurrence of all Nations in the 

Belief in Purgatory. 

17. The doctrine of Purgatory being thus conso¬ 
nant with rea.son, even the heathens professed it; for 
what is eUvSy of belief is accepted, at least in its funda¬ 
mental theory, by all nations. Hence they all believed 


1 he Existence of Purgatory. 


15 


in the existence of a Supreme Being; so that Plutarch 
could refer to cities without walls and without laws, 
but was forced to declare that there were none to be 
found without belief in a deity to whom they zealously 
rendered homage and sacrifice. We find the doctrine 
of the creation of man, of the prevarication of our first 
parents, of the flood, etc., among the most savage and 
rude nations. In the same manner, they all had some 
idea of a state of purification in the next world, how¬ 
ever crude and perverted it might be. Thus we find 
this belief a part of the doctrine of the roaming savage 
who took with him on his predatory excursions the 
mortal remains of his father, and of the refined Greek 
and Roman, who scrupulously adhered to the customs 
by which he sought to placate the manes of the de¬ 
ceased. Widely as mourning customs differed, we find 
everywhere expiatory sacrifices for the dead, prayers 
for them: hence the holocausts, the cremations, the 
libations, offerings placed on tombs, funeral ceremonies, 
etc., as related in history. The Africans, the Chinese, 
the Japanese, the Celts and the Slavs professed their 
belief in purification in a middle state by the doctrine 
of the migration of souls, and of other modes of atone¬ 
ment. Similar views are found with the Esquimaux, 
Greenlanders, North American Indian tribes, etc., all 
concurring in the belief that the soul, on its way to 
heaven, has to undergo many trials, in overcoming 
which the living can assist them by prayer, sacrifice 
and funeral celebrations. 

18. Whence this universal .sentiment which, 
though it does not appear everywhere with equal 
distinctness, yet is common to all ? Undoubtedly 
these distorted views of an everlasting truth are 


1() 


Chapter /. 


founded in human reason which believes in the im¬ 
mortality of the soul and distinguishes between abso¬ 
lute purity and total depravity, between human frailty 
and obstinate perversity.—Plato states the doctrine of 
paganism on this subject as follows : “As soon as the 
departed have arrived at the place to which they are con¬ 
ducted by demons, the separation of the just and holy 
from the A\dcked takes place. Those found to have 
led nearly a good life are conducted to the Great Lake 
to dwell there and atone for their faults till they are 
absolved. They whose condition is judged to be be¬ 
yond remed}" because of the wickedness of their tran.s- 
gressions, are plunged into Tartarus, whence they are 
never released. They whose faults have been great, 
but remedied to some degree, are also plunged into 
Tartarus ; but after remaining a year, the waves throw 
them ashore and they are transferred back to the Sea 
of Acherusia. If they are received there by them 
against whom they offended, their punishment is 
ended. They, however, that shall be found to have 
made great progress in holy life, escape all these 
prisons in the interior of the earth, and proceed to the 
pure abode above the earth.” 

.The Jews ahso, though accepting only the Old Te.s- 
tanient, believe the doctrine of purification in the next 
world. They lay great stress on it, and are zealous 
defenders of its practice. For instance, with them a 
child is bound to say for a whole 3"ear a certain prayer 
called Kadis for his deceased father. When there are 
no children, strangers are paid to say this pra^^er. 
Josephus remarks that this cu.stom is ver}- ancient. 

It is impossible that nations of such diversity of 
faith, morals, laws and languages should concur so 


The Existence of Purgatory. 


17 


unanimously in this one point, except the}^ all drew from 
the same source, the fountain of truth. Here we may 
well sa}'. Vox popidi vox Dei :—“The voice of the 
people is God’s voice.” This voice of all nations and 
tribes comes to us from ages past, loudly attesting: 
“There is a Purgatory; and ‘it is therefore a holy and 
wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that the}- may 
be loosed from sins.’ ” 

^ 6. Opponents of Purgatory. 

19. Whilst reason compels all nations to proclaim 
their unanimous belief in Purgatory, a certain class of 
gloomy and proud men, whose dull intelligence admits 
only of an intercourse through the medium of the sen¬ 
ses, presumes to deny this consoling doctrine. It is 
deplorable to see men calling themselves Christians, 
and professing to have progressed far in general cul¬ 
ture, walking in the darkness of unbelief. Like owls, 
whose eyes sparkle and shine, but do not see in day¬ 
time, such men surround themselves with the sem¬ 
blance of knowledge, deceiving by an appearance of 
brilliant scientific attainments, 3'et sitting in the dark. 
They do not see the day that dawned with Christ and 
advanced with the propagation of His doctrine till it 
now shines in meridian splendor. The}" resemble, 
says St. Ignatius, the fallen angels ; for as these were 
incited to pride and brought to their fall by their 
sublime position, thus they are made enemies of Christ, 
enemies of revealed religion, b}^ their pretended science 
and sham learning, thus sinking in the estimation 
of sound reason even below the most uncultured 
nations. For though it is not clearly demonstrated 
that the ancient Carthaginians, Egyptians, Celts, Slavs, 


18 


Chapter I. 


etc., believed in hell, yet there is no doubt that they 
believed in a state of purification after death. Whence 
this remarkable fact? St. Thomas Aquinas says, 
that whilst real science renders its possessor humble 
and makes all things except ourselves appear great, 
false science puffs up and shows ever3'thing as small 
and insignificant, except self. Hence we know of no 
other explanation but the senseless fanaticism of such 
as revolt in rabid haughtiness against the existing 
order of things, at the same time considering them¬ 
selves too good, and others too wicked for Purgator}'; 
which spirit is the result of singnlarit^^ prejudice and 
obstinate adhesion to preconceived ideas, and of a 
mean, narrow mind, intent on measuring divine things 
by the rule of dulled human perception. Thon.sands of 
souls were led into a lab\Tinth of error and unbelief by 
pride and presumptnons inquisitiveness regarding the 
m^^steries of religion, b}' negligence in fulfilling their 
religions duties, b\" wickedness of life, b}' the reading 
of bad books and papers, by promiscuous association 
with scoffers at religion, with infidels, and with others 
whose compaii}' endangers faith. 

20. And as even some so-called Catholics are pre¬ 
sumptuous enough to doubt the consoling doctrine of 
Pnrgator3\ because, deluded b3" false logic, the3^ believe 
the Church to be wrong on this point, we give a brief, 
comprehensive statement of the errors concerning Pur- 
gator3^; in order that the3" ma3^ have a chance to recog¬ 
nize more easih^ their indefensible position, rise above 
their prejudices, and put to flight the serpent of pride 
and error. 

The Gnostics of the first centuries of Christianity 
believed that the human soul is destined to free itself 


The Existence of Purgatory. It) 

by degrees from the dominion of sensualism by going 
through a kind of purification here on earth. These 
heretics retained but little of Christianity, and their 
system had no place for Purgatory. For accord¬ 
ing to them the soul, once freed from the body and 
purihed by earthly sufferings alone, returns to God in 
the realms of light, whilst everything else is engulfed 
in the darkness of eternal night. 

In the fourth century, Aerius, a follower of the 
heresiarch Arius, called the doctrine of prayer for the 
dead immoral, claiming that it caused men to abandon 
themselves to vice and sin in the presumptuous hope 
that they were enabled, by gifts of money, to obtain 
the prayers and good works of others to escape pun¬ 
ishment. 

In the twelfth century, the Waldenses were at 
variance amongst themselves concerning the doctrine 
of Purgator\^ The Albigenses and Catharers, who 
followed Gnostic views, and denied a future life in gen¬ 
eral almost universally, were logically bound to reject 
Pnrgator3\ In southern France, the adherents of the 
apostate, Peter de Bruis, denied Purgatory, because 
they regarded themselves too good, and others too 
wicked for it. 

21. Until then the enemy of God made use only of 
one or the other of the objections to Purgator>^ hitherto 
mentioned, in order to gain adherents opposing Pur¬ 
gatory. In the so-called Reformation of the sixteenth 
century, however, all these objections were united into 
one heresy denying the existence of Purgatory. For 
fifteen centuries the Church had offered up the Sacri¬ 
fice of Expiation for the Suffering Souls, when Luther, 
an apostate monk, disturbed her peace and assailed 


20 


Chapter I. 


her sacrifice by divulging a new doctrine. Of a 
morose and bitter disposition, he attacked the Catho¬ 
lic doctrine of indulgences, thus assailing the clemen¬ 
cy of his spiritual Mother. Logically, he was soon 
led to deny the efficacy of her intercession, thus 
robbing the faithful of the consolation of her prayers 
after death by declaring that man, once justified, had 
no need of satisfying Divine Justice either in this world 
or in the next. Hence he denied the efficacy of pra^^er 
for the dead, and consequently the existence of Purga¬ 
tory. But as he thus proclaimed a doctrine rejected 
both b}^ Catholic faith and by reason, a doctrine that 
aimed at the same time at being consonant with divine 
truth and conniving at the sinful inclinations of man, 
hence Luther wavered in his position and in his 
teaching. Lies are unstable, but truth remains stead¬ 
fast for ever. “The lip of truth shall be steadfast for 
ever; but he that is a hast}^ witness frameth a Lung 
tongue.” (Prov. XII. 19.) The Protestant theologian, 
Fritschel, in his “Review for Lutheran Theology and 
Church,” mentions the conflicting views of Luther 
concerning the doctrine of Purgatory as follows; In 
1518 and 1519 the “Reformer” declares the existence 
of Purgatory as undeniable, and insists on its ac¬ 
ceptance. In the following years, until 1530, his views 
underwent a change. He wished to retain Purgator>q 
but was not willing that it should remain an article of 
faith, “because,” he maintained, “its existence can 
neither be proved, nor ought it to be denied.” Then, 
in 1530, Luther published a “Denial of Purgatory;” a 
“powerful argument against this error,” as Fritschel 
calls it. In the Schmalkaldian Articles of 1537, the 
heresiarch calls Purgatory a “Devil’s Mask.” Never- 


The Existence of Purgatory. 


21 


theless, he again wavers on other occasions, and in 
1543, permits the insertion of prayers for the dead in 
the official edition of his Church Directory. No wonder 
that Fritschel repeatedly calls Luther’s position “re¬ 
markable.” It rhust appear “remarkable” to every 
person capable of reasoning, no less so than the follow¬ 
ing prayer taken from his Directory: “O God, if the 
soul is in a condition to be assisted, I beseech Thee to 
be gracious towards it.” Still more remarkable it is, 
that so many persons adhere to his wavering doctrine. 

Calvin calls Purgatory “a dastardly invention of 
Satan, a blasphemy against Christ which annihilates 
His cross.” Yet he concedes that prayer for the dead 
is an ancient and pious custom, and says that the souls 
of the just are detained until the last day in the bosom 
of Abraham. {Lib. Inst. iii. 5.) 

Luther’s illogical error was the result of wounded 
pride, nourished by intemperance like fire is fed by 
fuel. Smothering reason through exciting the passions, 
he aroused in his followers the seven-headed hydra of 
vice, causing them to show less logic than the Esqui¬ 
maux and Greenlanders, by rejecting the consoling 
doctrine of a middle state in the next world. 

The views and speculations concerning Purgatory, 
which originated in the diverging doctrines of Protest¬ 
antism, are too manifold to be noted here. It is suf¬ 
ficient to mention that some of its adherents admit 
heaven and hell alone, others a place of purification 
and heaven, others again no hell and no purgatory, but 
heaven alone. 

22. Nevertheless there are, and always have been, a 
great many dissenters from the Catholic Church who, 
intent on living justly and uprightly, cultivate a pro- 


Chapter /. 


2*2 

found logical religious sentiment, and hence agree with 
the learned ProtevStant Leibnitz who says: “It always 
was the the teaching of the Church that they that have 
departed this life, though acceptable to God through 
Christ and therefore elected to eternal life, mUvSt some¬ 
times suffer natural punishment or purification for 
their sins, especially if they have not cleansed them¬ 
selves sufficient!}^ from their faults while on earth. 
True, the holy Fathers do not agree as to the mode of 
purification; but nearly all agree in the opinion that 
after this life a paternal punishment or purification, 
whatever its nature may be, will take place, by 
which the souls, after their departure from the body, 
are enlightened, and then, convinced of the imperfec¬ 
tion of their past life and of the turpitude of .sin, are 
filled with sorrow, and themselves desire it, unwilling 
to be admitted to the height of beatitude without 
having undergone it.” And he concludes : “It always 
was a doctrine of the Church that we should pray for 
the dead, because they receive assistance by our prayer.” 

Collier, also a Protestant, remarks: “Prayer for 
the dead is one of the most ancient and best authen¬ 
ticated practices of religion. It quickens the belief 
in the immortality of the soul, draws the veil of dark¬ 
ness from the grave, and joins this world with the next. 
Had it been retained, most likely we should not have 
experienced so much scepticism and unbelief amongst 
us. I can not find a reason wh}^ a dissenting Church, 
which can not claim supernatural gifts, and is quite 
foreign to the early ages of Christianity, has rejected, or 
permitted the neglect of, a custom which is not con¬ 
demned.” True, the so-called Reformers, if they would 
be logical, could not admit Purgatory ; but it was a 


The Existence of Purgatory. 


'2:i 


rather hazardous proceeding to draw, by mere deduction, 
a negation of truths so firmly rooted in faith and so con¬ 
sonant with reason and sentiment. Hence the unten¬ 
able position of Protestantism, which loudly proclaims 
to the world that despite its doctrinal negation, 
many of its adherents unite with the Catholic Church in 
declaring: “There is a Purgatory; ‘it is therefore a 
holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead that 
they may be loosed from sins.’ ” 

^ 7. Uninterrupted Tradition of the Church 
and Purgatory. 

23. Protestants admit that the belief in purifica¬ 
tion after death, and the custom of praying for the 
dead, were both universal in the Church for fifteen 
centuries. And indeed, if we would but go to the 
trouble of examining the pages of history, we should 
find the view correct, as a few proofs from the writings 
of the holy Fathers, the inscriptions in the catacombs 
and the decrees of the councils of the Church will show. 

St. Chrysostom, in his third homily, says: “The 
apostles did not ordain without good reason a com- 

m 

memoration of the departed to be made during the cele¬ 
bration of the sacred mysteries; for from it the de¬ 
ceased draw great gain and help. Wh}" should our 
prayers for them not placate God, when, besides the 
. priest, the whole people stand with uplifted hands 
whilst the august Victim is present on the altar? 
True, it is offered only for such as departed hence 
in the faith.”—St. Gregory of Nyssa writes: “The 
apostles and disciples of Christ have handed down to 
us what since has obtained the force of law everywhere 
in the Church of God, namely that the memory of those 


2-1 


Chapter I. 


that died in the-^true faith be recalled in the celebration 
of the sacred and illustrious m^’stery.”—In the fourth 
century, St. Jerome presents to our view the pious 
Paininachius mourning over the mortal remains of his 
consort, less with tears than with prayer and by alms. 
St. Augustine relates with touching emotion the part¬ 
ing words of his mother, St. Monica: “Lay this bod}' 
anywhere; be not concerned about that. Only this I 
beg of you, that wheresover you be, you make remem¬ 
brance of me at the Lord’s altar.’’—Even as early as the 
second century, Tertullian wrote: “On the anniversa¬ 
ries of the dead we offer the Holy Sacrifice for the de¬ 
parted. Even though Scripture did not warrant this, 
the custom originates in tradition ; it was confirmed by 
universal adoption and sanctioned by faith.” 

A touching proof of the belief that the living are 
able to help the dead is found in the history of St. Per- 
petua. She beheld her own brother Dinocrates, seven 
years of age, in the torments of Purgatory. The saint 
continued assiduously in prayer for him, and in a new 
vision saw his pain gradually lessened, until 'he finally 
appeared to her with a luminous countenance leaving 
the place of his suffering to engage in childish sport. 
“I then awoke,” she remarks, “and knew that my 
brother’s punishment was over.” 

• 24. The catacombs, the subterranean tombs of the 
martyrs, give eloquent testimony of the belief in Pur¬ 
gatory, which is all the more impressive becau.se it 
leads us back to the very cradle of the Church, to the 
bloody persecutions overcome by the faith and virtue 
of thousands and thousands of victims. A number of 
renowned cemeteries, for instance that of SS. Peter and 
Paul, of St. Priscilla, St. Domitilla, etc., date back to 


The Existence of Purgatory. 


25 


the first centur}^ to the very time of the apostles, and 
the others are as old as the second and third century. 
In the numerous incriptions found there, abundant 
proof of the belief in Purgatory is expressed in prayers 
for the departed. For instance: “Here, dearest son, 
thy life has come to an end. But Thee, O Heavenly 
P'ather, we implore to have mercy, to take pity on the 
sufferings of our dear one, through Christ, Our Lord.” 
—“To Lucifera! Whosoever of the brethren chances 
to read this, let him pra}' to God to take unto Himself 
her holy and pure spirit.”—“Eternal light shine upon 
thee, Timothea, in Christ!”—Verily, the reading of 
these few specimens among the hundreds of inscriptions 
* dating from the first centuries, present to us in a true 
mirror the reflection of the faith of the Church of our 
own times. 

But how strange ! Dissenters ask us to regard Pur¬ 
gatory as a mere conjecture, which received its form 
and shape by SS. Gregory and Augustine, and by later 
councils. In return, the Church points to her constant 
tradition, as embodied in her ordinances and customs, 
and triumphantly vindicates the doctrine of Purgatory 
by her councils. 

25. Long ago, the Council of Carthage recom¬ 
mended prayers for the dead; the same was done by the 
Roman Synod, in 502; by the Synod of Orleans, in 
533 ; by the Council of Braga, in 563; by the Council 
of Toledo, in 675; b}" the Synod of Chalons, in 813; 
by the Synod of Worms, in 868.—The second Council 
of L3^ons, in 1274, says: “The Holy Roman Church 
declares and teaches, that when truly penitent souls 
die in charity before they have atoned for their faults 
of commission and omission by worthy fruits of pen- 


Chapter I. 


2 () 


aiice, they are purified after death in the torments of 
Purgatory.”—The Council of Florence, in 1439, states 
the same doctrine in the very words of the Tyonese 
Council. Finally, the Council of Trent, Session VI. 
22, 25., declares formally, first, that the faithful are 
able 'to assist the souls detained in Purgator}" by their 
prayer and by the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. More¬ 
over, it threatens with excommunication those who 
affirm that after receiving the grace of justification the 
penitent sinner’s debt and eternal punishment are re¬ 
mitted in such a manner, that no temporal punish¬ 
ment remains to be undergone in Purgator3^ 

Thus the belief in Purgatory is clearly and unmis¬ 
takably expressed in the writings of the holy P'athers, 
by the testimony of the Catacombs, and the decrees of 
the Councils. Besides eternal heaven for undefiled 
souls; besides everlasting hell for souls departing with 
the guilt of mortal sin on them, there is a middle 
state—Purgator^^ Hence: ‘Tt is a holy and whole¬ 
some thought to pray for the dead, that they may be 
loosed from sins.” 

8. Divine Revelation and Purgatory. 

26. The Council of Trent, assembled for the de¬ 
fence and vindication of the ancient faith, branded the 
audacious innovators of the sixteenth century with the 
note of excommunication, condemning their nefarious 
doctrine, and reaffirming Catholic belief in Purgator3\ 
By the declaration of this dogma the Church did not 
invent a new doctrine, but simply sustained and made 
an authentic declaration of the faith founded on an¬ 
cient tradition and on Holy Scripture. She set the 
seal of her divine authority on it, sustained it by 


file Existence of Purgatoty. 'll 

her authoritative declaration, and thus consummated 
onr consolation by her authentic evidence tor the 
existence of Purgatory. 

. In Holy Scripture we find this evidence even in 
the Book of Genesis. It informs us that Joseph, on 
his father’s death, ordered the Egyptians to hold a 
mourning celebration of seventy da3\s, and a funeral 
celebration of seven days. In the First Book of Kings 
we read that the inhabitants of Jabez Galaad fasted 
seven days at the death of Saul, Jonathan and Abner. 
The learned divines Suarez and Bellarniine declare 
in conformity with the holy Fathers, that these prac¬ 
tices are not to be understood simply as expressions of 
mourning alone, but must be regarded also as suf¬ 
frages for the dead. If fasting was nothing but an 
expression of sorrow, it is difficult to explain why 
David fasted during the illness of his child, but ceased 
to fast immediately after its death. It is evident that 
he was of the opinion that a continuance of his fast 
was no longer to any purpose, because the child, hav¬ 
ing died in innocence, was no longer in need of prayer, 
and good works. The royal prophet describes in a 
touching manner the doctrine of Purgatory when he 
refers to the ineffable bli.ss of those souls that, having 
passed through the flood and fire of affliction, at length 
have found the long desired deliverance. The prophet 
Micheas takes comfort in advance in the consolations 
of Purgatory, saying: “I will bear the wrath of the 
lyord, because I have sinned against Him, until He 
judge my cause and execute judgment for me. He 
will bring me forth into the light.” (Mich. vii. 9.) 
Hence the declaration of Ecclesiasticus (vii. 37): “A 
gift hath grace in the sight of all the living; and re- 


2S 


Chapter /. 


strain not grace from the dead.”—One hundred and 
fifty years before the light of the Gospel shed its 
saving rays on the world, belief in Purgatory finds 
unmistakable expression in the histor}' of the victori¬ 
ous Machabee, Judas. This renowned hero, having 
lost a great number of warriors in battle, is not content 
Avith honoring them by a pompous burial: he orders a 
collection to*be made, and .sends the proceeds—twelve 
hundred drachms of silver—to Jeru.salem, to have .sac¬ 
rifice offered for the decea.sed. “For,” adds the in- 
.spired writer, “if he had not hoped that they who were 
.slain should rise again, it would have seemed super¬ 
fluous and vain to pray for the dead. And because he 
considered that they who had fallen a.sleep with god¬ 
liness, had grace laid up for them. It is therefore a 
holy and wholesome thought to pra}" for the dead, 
that they may be loosed from sins.” (II. Mach. xii. 
44—46.) Holy Scripture itself, then, draws from the 
action of this chieftain the conclusion that Purgatory 
exists, and that our pra5^ers and .sacrifices are accepted 
in suffrage for the release of the departed. 

27. Our Lord Himself, though He Avas most zealous 
in correcting abu.se.s, and aa’cII kncAV that the JeAA\spra3^ed 
for the dead, not only did not interfere Avith this prac¬ 
tice, but confirmed it. For He .said, “And Avhosoever 
shall speak a AA^ord against the Holy Ghost, it shall not 
be forgiA^en him neither in this Avorld, nor in the Avorld 
to come.” (Matth. xii. 32.) From these Avords SS. Augus¬ 
tine, Gregory the Great, Bernard, the Venerable Bede 
and others conclude as folloAA'S : WhatsoeA^er may be the 
nature of this speaking again.st the Holy Gho.st men¬ 
tioned here as an unpardonable sin, Avhether it be 
understood as referring to the obstinacy of the JeAA^s or 




The Existence of Purgatory. 


2!) 


of the unbelievers in resisting the acknowledged truth : 
one certain, clear and indisputable fact follows from this 
passage of the gospel by the very exception made in it: 
it proves convincingly that certain sins are forgiven in 
the next world. Now this forgiveness is not obtainable 
in heaven, because sin does not gain admittance there, 
nor in hell, whence there is no redemption. There is 
only one possibility : these sins are forgiven in Purga¬ 
tory—hence there is a Purgatory. 

Moreover, Our Tord exhorts us : “Be at an agree¬ 
ment with" th}^ adversary betimes, whilst thou art in the 
wa}^ with him : lest perhaps the adversary deliver thee 
to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, 
and thou be cast into prison. Amen I say to thee, thou 
shalt not go out from thence till thou repay the last 
farthing.” (Math. v. 25, 26.) Many holy Fathers, 
among them Origen, St. Jerome, St. Ambrose and 
others, declare that this passage is to be understood not 
only as referring to a place of eternal punishment, but 
also to one of temporal atonement in the next world, 
because deliverance is promised to those that “repay 
the last farthing.” 

28. The doctrine of the Apostles agrees with that of 
their divine Master. Like Him, they never reproved 
the Jews for believing in a middle .state, nor did they 
ever prohibit prayers for the dead. St. Paul (I. Cor. 
XV. 29.) mentioning the Jewish custom of pious prac¬ 
tices for the dead, refers to these as to a baptism, or re¬ 
ligious rite, and draws therefrom the conclusion of a 
future resurrection. He writes, “What shall they do 
that are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not again 
at all? why are they then baptized for them?” Thus 
he teaches us that the custom of praying for the dead 


Chapter /. 


;{0 


is one beneficial to them, and hence to be retained by 
the Christians. But if there were only heaven and hell 
in the next world, such prayers would be unprofitable. 

St. Paul affirms this doctrine still more explicitly 
when he teaches that there are faithful who attain 
heaven by fire, or, to use his own words, they “shall 
be saved, yet so as by fire.” (I. Cor. iii. 15.) According 
to the Apostle there are such as make Christ the foun¬ 
dation of their salvation, but build on this foundation 
an edifice of wood, hay or .stubble, that is, they believe 
in Christ, but mix many imperfections with their good 
works. “If any man’s work abide, which he hath built 
thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s 
work burn, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be 
saved; yet so as by fire.” (I. Cor. iii. 15.) “The fire 
shall try every man’s work, of what sort it is,” whether 
“gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble.” 
(Ib. 12. 13.) The holy Fathers remark that by gold, 
silver and precious stones are meant good works, by 
wood, hay and stubble venial sins and imperfections. 
Hence St. Augustine says, “Punish me in Thy wrath, 
that I may be cleansed in this world, and so trans¬ 
formed that I shall not stand in need of the purifying 
flames like those that are ‘saved as if by fire.’ Whence 
this ? Because they built on the foundation with wood, 
hay and stubble here below. Had they built with gold, 
silver and precious stones, they would be safe from both 
fires, not only from the everlasting one that shall tor¬ 
ment the wicked forever, but also from the one that 
purifies those that are saved by fire.” The learned 
commentator Allioli, explaining the above words of St. 
Paul, says: “Remark well, the fire of which the 
Apostle speaks cannot be understood to mean the tribu- 


The Existence of Purgatory. 


31 


latioiis of this world ; for he speaks of a fire burning 
on the day of judgment, consequently after the time 
of this life. It cannot be understood to mean the great 
examination by the Judge, for you are not only ex¬ 
amined, but made to burn, so that you suffer by fire. 
It cannot mean the fire of hell; because, he that suffers 
by the fire mentioned is saved after suffering loss. It 
can be understood only as meaning the cleansing fire 
after death called Purgatory, which burns the soul de¬ 
parted in imperfections, during the time of cleansing, 
and shall be extinguished at the general judgment in 
the destruction of the world.” Our works, then, shall 
be subject to examination ; the}^ shall be cleansed from 
every base alloy in the flames enkindled by divine 
wrath, the same as gold and silver are purified in the 
crucible of the refiner. Hence the learned Bellarmine 
remarks, “It is a doctrine held in common by.all 
divines, that in this passage the words, ‘by fire’ are to be 
understood as referring to a temporal fire of purification, 
to which they are sentenced after death, who, according 
to the verdict of their particular judgment, have built 
with wood, hay and stubble. This explanation is not 
only warranted by the text, but agrees with the general 
opinion of the Fathers.” The renowned theologian 
then adduces the testimony of SS. Cyprian, Ambrose, 
Jerome, Augustine, Gregory, Anselm, Thomas, Bona- 
venture, etc. 

St. Paul himself gave us the example of praying for 
the dead. Having received hospitality at Rome in the 
house of Onesiphorus, he reminds his disciple Timo¬ 
thy of it, .saying : “The Lord give mercy to the house 
of Onesiphorus, because he hath often refreshed me, 
and hath not been ashamed of my chain ... The Lord 


Chapter I. 


?>1 

grant unto him to find mercy of the Lord in that day.” 
(II. Tim. I. 16. 18.) Allioli remarks : “The Apostle does 
not send greeting to Onesiphorus when speaking of his 
past merits, but to his family. For the deserving man 
himself he prays that the Lord grant mercy unto him 
on the day of judgment. Hence it is apparent that at 
that time the good man was dead, and that the Apostle 
teaches us by his example to offer up suffrages and 
prayers for the souls of those that died in the Lord : 
this, however, can be done only if we believe in a 
middle state—Purgatory.” 

29. Hence the existence of Purgatory, demon¬ 
strated and proved as it is by reason, revelation and 
theological evidence, is an accepted Catholic dogma. 
It is a doctrine contained so unmistakably clear in the 
sources of revelation, in Scripture and Tradition, and is 
presented so concisel}" as the outcome of faith in 
eternal reward and punishment, that it would be a 
Catholic dogma even if it had not been declared as such 
by the authority of the Church. It is a dogma because 
there is indisputable evidence that the whole Church, 
in all ages and in all countries, accepted it as such, and 
because it was declared as such by the solemn declara¬ 
tion of the Church’s supreme teaching authority. 

The doctrine of Purgatory does away with the fool¬ 
hardy doctrine of the soul’s mortality ; it convinces us 
that death is but a transient occurrence. “In the sight 
of the unwise they seemed to die, and their departure 
was taken for misery . . . Afflicted in a few things, in 
many they shall be well rewarded, because God hath 
tried them, and found them worthy of Himself” (Wisd. 
III. 2. 5.), so that He will not destroy their souls. 
“My soul shall live.” .(Ps. cxviii. 175.) For God 


The Existence of Purgatory. 


88 


solves the mortal bonds of the just only to lead them 
to the place of purification. “As gold in the furnace 
He hath proved them, and as a holocaust He hath re¬ 
ceived them” (Wisd. iii. 6.) to open for them the 
portals of the abode of refreshment, light and peace. 
“For grace and peace is to His elect.” (Wisd. iii. 9.) 

We love to hear this doctrine. It brings us con¬ 
solation in affliction; it renders easy the .sacrifices we 
have to make for virtue; it moves us to joyous praise 
of the Lord’s justice and mercy ; it makes us love our 
faith ; it elevates us above ourselves and transports us 
into the land of the being, that is, into the regions of 
immortality, into the Church suffering and triumphant. 
On the other hand, denial of this doctrine brings death. 
Bellarmine observes : “The doctrine of the existence 
of Purgatory is so catholic a dogma, that the}^ who 
nevertheless deny it assuredly have to fear not Purga¬ 
tory, but rather the flames of hell.” 

And thus we hear faith and nature, all nations and 
all ages proclaim for the welfare of mankind: “It is 
therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for 
the dead, that they may be loosed from sins.” 


4 * 


Chapter II. 


34 

CHAPTER II. .1 

The Condition of the Suffering Souls in Purgatory. \ 

§ 9. The Spiritual Condition of the 
Suffering Souls. 

30. There is a middle state—a state of purification 
—after this life: this is a natural claim of the human . 
heart’s affection, acknowledged unanimousl}* by all 
nations, but of which we receive certainty and a com- ^ 
plete and correct conception only by revealed religion. 
The souls of those who died in the state of grace, but ] 
were not found sufficiently pure to enter the heavenly | 
Jerusalem, are sentenced to this state. The most j 
dreaded time for man, dreaded even by saintly servants ’ 
of God, is the hour of death, that decisive hour on ! 
which depends heaven or hell. At this dangerous , 
hour our guardian angels are a most potent help for 
us. These spirits, endowed with supernatural intelli¬ 
gence and privileges, servants of God and protectors of 
man, assist and encourage us. They put to flight the 
evil spirits, and are the first to receive the parting soul 
and conduct it to God. Therefore the Church in her 
recommendation of a departing soul says, “Go forth, 
Christian soul, from this world, in the name of the 
angels and archangels'.” The holy angels are invited 
to receive the departing soul and to conduct it before 
the throne of God. This is also expressed in the 
prayer of the Church : “Let St. Michael, the archangel. 





The Co7idition of ihc Suffering Souls in Purgatory. 

/ 

prince of heavenly hosts, 'receive him. Let the holy 
angels of God come forth to meet him and conduct 
him to the city of the heavenly Jerusalem.” 'After the 
soul has appeared before the tribunal of God, sentence 
is passed, and then it goes to the abode decreed by di¬ 
vine justice. St. Thomas Acjuinas and St. Bonaven- 
ture sa}^ that it is probable that the souls sentenced to 
temporal punishment are conducted to the place of 
punishment by good angels, and there begin a new 
and abstergent life. We add, in a few general sen¬ 
tences, a description of this spiritual life of the souls 
in Purgatory, as well as it can be given. 

31. The prerogatives and dignity of man in this 
world are founded in his spiritual being, in his immor¬ 
tal soul. By this his ennobled, rational and free nature 
man is endowed with the faculty of thought, of judg¬ 
ment, of liberty and will. Is it, then, not apparent at 
first view, that amongst all beings of visible creation 
man predominates and is the most prominent, that 
everything else is created for his service? All things 
must bow before man’s power, because reason elevates 
him above the whole material world, if he knows 
how to bring it under his dominion. The soul’s 
power of cognition at the time of its departure from 
the body remains its property also in Purgatory, but a 
new degree of cognition is, generally speaking, not 
added, for the aspect of visible creation with its mani¬ 
fold wonders is shut off from it. The soul is in prison, 
under punishment. The learned Bautz writes : “With 
St. Augustine theological writers are of the opinion, 
that the Suffering Souls have cognizance of manj^ 
things that specially interest them. As the holy doc¬ 
tor remarks, the souls of the deceased are beyond the 


Chapter II. 


3 () 


reach of earthly iiifluerces, and as a rule remain so, • 
although their affection for us is not diminished. 
Whatever of mundane affairs interests them can be 
brought to their notice in various ways. They are 
informed of it partly by other souls who depart this 
life at a later period, partly through the intervention 
of angels, partly b)^ special divine revelation, partly 
also by being permitted to re-appear among us.” The 
natural perceptive powers of a soul are, therefore, as a 
rule restricted to its place of captivity. It has a direct 
cognition of itself, and of the other spirits into whose 
company it was transferred. According to Bautz the 
soul, at its separation from the body, is endowed with 
all the faculties corresponding to its new phase of ex¬ 
istence, and is thus enabled to communicate with the 
other souls and with the heavenly spirits that appear 
in the abode of torment. 

32. Even during mortal life the soul of man is 
capable of elevating itself into the realm of the super¬ 
natural ; it is impressed with ideas imperceptible 
to the bodily senses so as even to entertain a con¬ 
ception of the infinite. Instructed by revelation, it 
becomes enthusiastic in the service of the true, the 
beautiful, the good, and the divine ; it finds a pleasure 
in Christian virtue in comparison with which all other 
enjoyments become insipid. The souls in Purgatory 
retain possession of this supernatural cognition. It is 
not an intuition, but essentially a species of faith that 
has become part of their existence. Some points of doc¬ 
trine which are articles of faith in the Church militant 
are such no longer for the Church suffering, because 
to the latter they have become matters of cognition, 
intuition or experience. Particular judgment. Pur- 


The Condition of the Sicffeidng Souls in Purgatory. 87 

gatory, the guardian angels, perhaps also satan and 
hell, are part of their experience. Other mysteries of 
faith, however, are veiled to the Suffering Souls the 
same as to us. . 

The Creator endowed human nature with such 
glorious prerogatives and revealed His paternal Pro¬ 
vidence to man so manifestly, that he will be the most 
blessed creature for all eternity, provided he attains his 
final destiny. The Suffering Souls in Purgatory have as 
yet not attained it, hence they 3^earn for it, full of hope 
and confidence. They feel the pangs of an insatiable 
hunger and thirst, and are consumed by a longing for 
essential life, beauty and truth, for imperishable great¬ 
ness, for eternal happiness and glory in God. Like 
faith and hope, the Suffering Souls also possess 
charity. As Suarez remarks, the Suffering Soul, 
though not yet enjoying the contemplation of God, 
is nevertheless possessed of a fixed measure of infused 
divine love, corresponding to its merit, which latter 
can longer be increased. 

33. The course of this life once finished, the time 
of forbearance, mercy and merit is over. Then God 
is no longer our Father, but our Judge, our severe 
Judge, who sentences us to pay the last farthing. Per¬ 
sonally, the Suffering Souls cannot do anything to es¬ 
cape their wretchedness and misery. For them the time 
of labor, when they were able not only to increase their 
merit, but also to atone for their sins, is over. The dark¬ 
ness of that night has overtaken them, “when no man 
can work ” (John ix. 4.) for his own profit. To them are 
applicable the words of Scripture: “If the tree fall to 
the south or to the north, in what place soever it shall 
fall, there it shall be.” (Eccli. xi. 3.) The soul’s 


Chapter II. 


eternal destiny is not only decided, but it moreover 
can no longer use the time during which it is debarred 
from entering eternal glor^^ to increase its own 
merits. The SufferingSouls.no longer have time to 
do penance for their sins, or to increase their merit, 
or to pray to God for their own deliverance, or to 
hasten their admittance to eternal bliss. Theirs is a 
time of suffering, of suffering without merit, of suffer¬ 
ing without the possibility of relieving themselves. 

Just as the time of merit is over for the Suf¬ 
fering Souls, so also is their time of combat past. 
They are forever exempt from probation, tempta¬ 
tion, and since the possibility of committing sin all 
who die united in charity with God have finished their 
course, fought the good fight and ended their pil¬ 
grimage. With St. John Damascene the holy Fathers 
and ecclesiastical writers say, “Death is for man what 
the fall was for the angels.” 

34. The doctrine, that the Suffering Souls can do 
nothing for their own relief, is certain in that sense, 
that they cannot acquire new merit to be applied in 
atonement for their sins. They cannot themselves do 
anything to render satisfaction to God. If these holy 
Souls, remarks Suarez, could obtain their release by 
some act of satisfaction, they would liberate them¬ 
selves in a very short time simply by making an act 
of perfect contrition. Neverthele.ss, this same author 
concedes that they can move God by their prayer to 
apply to them the intercession of the faithful on earth; 
that they can invoke their angels for some refreshment 
and mitigation of their torments; and lastly that they 
can entreat these heavenly spirits to incite the faithful 
to a greater zeal in the performance of good works in 


'1 he Conchtion of the Suffering Souls in Purgatory. 39 

their behalf, which office these good spirits fulfil most 
readily and of their own accord. Bellarmine calls this 
opinion of Suarez not onl}^ probable, but indubitable, 
and argues that the Suffering Souls pray for themselves 
in the manner described. Gregory of Valencia, adduc¬ 
ing the authority of the renowned Alexander of Hales, 
is still more positive. “I maintain,'’ he says, “that the 
souls in Purgatory pray for themselves and implore God 
to deliver them from their torments by some means 
ordained by His eternal Providence, perhaps by the 
intercession of the faithful on earth. This is the doc¬ 
trine of Alexander of Hales, who relies on the author¬ 
ity of Pope Gregory the Great. For if, as the latter 
says, the souls in Purgatory invoke the aid of the 
faithful, they also, presumably, implore God to impel 
the faithful to come to their assistance.” 

35. If the Suffering Souls can pray successfully 
for themselves; if, as we shall show later, they can 
intercede and obtain favors for us, as is maintained by 
Suarez and St. Catharine of Genoa: then it is probable 
that they also console and succor each other to the full 
extent of their charity, as far as they are permitted to do 
so by God. Or does it seem improbable that, impelled 
by an unselfish and sublime charity, they voluntarily 
renounce the suffrages of their relatives and friends in 
favor of others, thus suffering one for the other? True 
charity is forgetful of self, as St. Paul remarks; and 
this same apostle is himself an example of this charity. 
Like Moses he desired to become a reprobate, if he 
might thereby save his brethren. Tertullian relates 
the same also of the early Christians. To save their 
brethren they exposed themselves to every danger, 
they suffered stripes, fire and death. If charity 


40 


Chapter II. 


achieved such triumphs on earth, may we not expect 
the same, and more, of the charity of these just and 
holy souls ? Their charity is undoubtedly pure and 
unselfish ; they love God in His creatures. The holy 
angels watch over us, not for the sake of adding to 
their merit, but for the love of God. God’s own love 
for us is an unselfish one, proceeding from His pure, 
superabundant and infinite charity for us. “Indeed,” 
says Binet, “suffering for the welfare of another is an 
act worthy of those magnanimous and charitable souls 
who are less sensitive of the purifying flames than of 
the fire of divine love.” And Bautz concludes: 
“Whether such a mutual devotedness is actually per¬ 
mitted by the order of divine Providence in Purgatory, 
and to what extent, is be3^ond our knowledge.” Cer¬ 
tain it is, that by their own act the Suffering Souls 
cannot help themselves, nor assist others: we must 
aid them by our good works. 

36. Confirmed in the grace and love of God, the 
souls in Purgator}' are the adopted children of our 
heavenly Father, infinitely surer of this adoption than 
the most pious and saintlj^ souls during earthl}' life. 
Though their conscience inform the latter, that they are 
“ if sons, heirs also, heirs indeed of God, and joint heirs 
with Christ” (Rom. viii. 17.), they are nevertheless not 
sure to remain such, because they are in danger every 
moment of losing the grace of God by sin, and of be¬ 
coming children of damnation. But a soul in Purga¬ 
tory, being out of this danger, has no longer an^^ cause 
for fear. It is assured of remaining an elect child of 
God forever, and certain to posse.ss the heritage of 
heaven. Though such an elect spouse of Christ is 


The Condition of the Sujfering Souts in Purgatory. 41 

detained in the most terrible torments, and is not 
permitted to hasten to the wedding-feast, because 
admission thereto must be purchased by the satis¬ 
faction due to the sanctity and justice of God, she 
nevertheless dwells in the realms of peace, resting in 
Christ Our Lord, as the Church testifies in the com¬ 
memoration of the dead in Holy Mass. The soul, 
though suffering grievously, suffers with such resig¬ 
nation and conformity to the will of God, that it ex¬ 
periences neither confusion nor terror. It is strong 
in patience; pain does not deaden its love of God, and 
therefore does not disturb its peace, which is firmly 
established in the hope of future glory. 

§ 10. Spiritual Torments of the Suffering Souls. 

37. Convinced of the existence of Purgatory, and 
having reviewed in spirit some features of the con¬ 
dition of those detained therein, let us now devote our 
pious attention to the contemplation of the abode itself 
in which these souls are sentenced to dwell, and con¬ 
sider the extent of their misery. 

Although nothing definite can be said concerning 
the means applied in Pnratory in order to effect that 
purification which renders the souls worthy of the 
beatific vision of God, we are nevertheless reminded 
by Holy Scripture that “it is a dreadful thing to fall 
into the hands of the living God.’’ (Hebr. x. 31.) 
Revelation affords us no clue to the nature of the 
punishments of Purgatory; we know, however,That 
they are two-fold : a pain of loss, and a pain of sense. 
On both let us hear the common and more probable 
opinion of theologians. 


42 


Chapter II, 


38. As the soul, by its noblest inspirations, is 
drawn irresistibly to God, therefore the exclusion from 
the beatific vision of God is the supreme, the most 
excruciating pain that it can endure. To under¬ 
stand this, at least in part, we must consider the anguish 
of a heart that has lost the object of its affection. In 
such a heart love and grief are united, for true love 
cannot but suffer by the absence of its object. Lovers 
yearn for each other’s presence, pining away in sighs 
and tears. Not unfrequently they commit suicide be¬ 
cause the one will not outlive the other. Asylums for 
the insane give eloquent testimony of the sad con¬ 
sequences of unrequited love.—Now man is not created 
for this world, but for God. His inmost nature, his 
noblest and sublimest faculties and powers impel him 
and draw him on towards God. True, we mortals do 
not behold God, and, being devoted wholly to the 
perishable things of this world, we are quite uncon¬ 
cerned thereat. The distracting turmoil 01 the world, 
its unhallowed enjoyments, the profane bonds binding 
us to it, the overwhelming cares with which we over¬ 
load ourselves—all this combines to compensate us, so 
to say, for the loss of God’s vision. But in the same 
measure as man frees himself from these fetters his 
spirit ascends by the wings of insuperable desire to 
the supreme, all-beautiful Being. With some saints 
this spiritual ardor of love was so great, that their 
heart, their countenance, their whole body glowed 
with and reflected a physical heat. It had *this effect 
on St. Peter Alcantara, St. Catharine of Genoa, St. 
Magdalen of Pazzis, St. Stanislas Kostka and others. 
The more they became convinced of the supremacy of 
things heavenly and divine over things earthly, the 


The Condition of the Suffering Souls in Purgatory. 43 

more ardently they became desirous of attaining them, 
a yearning much greater than that resulting from mere 
human affection. 

As soon as we have deposed the robe of mortality 
in death, as soon as the boundless circle of eternity 
has received us, the soul, in its solitude and for¬ 
sakenness, is seized with an invincible desire to be 
admitted to the beatific vision of God. Such souls 
have been ransomed and cleansed by the Blood of 
Christ; they have the indelible mark of God’s grace; 
the imperishable crown of victory is prepared for 
them, for they are faithful, holy souls that love God 
alone. These souls, destined for heaven and sentenced 
to the darkness of a disconsolate solitude, are seized 
with the most ardent desire of seeing their God, and 
they see Him not! Their torment is so much the 
greater, the more they are conscious of the supreme 
beatitude of being admitted to His vision. Whoever 
once had the experience of the agonies of homesickness 
may form a faint idea of the extent of their sorrow. 
Hence St. Augustine exclaims, “Give me a loving soul: 
it will comprehend what I intend to convey.” 

39. Besides the pain arising from unrequited 
desire, deprivation of the beatific vision of God causes 
another great torment to the Suffering Souls: this 
results from the consciousness that it is not God’s 
fault, but their own, that they cannot enter heaven; it 
is a consequence of their sins. Thus their sins are 
brought back in all their hideousness to their spiritual 
view, and indescribable sorrow fills them. When 
Absalom was called back from his flight and permitted 
to enter Jerusalem, his father David would not let him 
come into his presence, but said, “Let him return into 


44 


Chapter II. 


his house, and let him not see my face.”—“Aud Abso- 
lom dwelt two years in Jerusalem and saw not the 
king’s face. He sent therefore to Joab to send him to 
the king .... I beseech thee, therefore, that I may see 
the face of the king: and if he be mindful of my 
iniquity, let him kill me. And Absolom was called 
for and went in to the king and prostrated himself on 
the ground before him.” (ii Kings xiv. 24—33.) So 
great was his sorrow at having offended his father.— 
It is related of St. Aloysius that he swooned away with 
sorrow for his few and insignificant faults.—St. Stanis¬ 
las fainted when he heard immodest words; St. Oringa 
was attacked with nausea when obliged to listen to 
them. 

The Suffering Souls are called to the nuptials of 
the Tamb; a splendid throne is prepared for them ; 
they have escaped all dangers threatening their sal¬ 
vation ; their loving desire of seeing God is most 
vehement. With St. Paul, they often repeat, “Un¬ 
happy man that I am, who shall deliver me from the 
body of this death?” (Rom. viii. 24.) “Having a 
desire to be disolved and be with Christ.” (Philip, i. 
23.) The veil of flesh which separated them from their 
Beloved has fallen : now they shall see Him and share 
His bliss! But, alas, the Lord remembers their, mis¬ 
deeds ; the Most Holy One delivers them to the tor¬ 
mentors ; because they are in need of purification, 
they are sentenced to the dark prison, where they 
must languish until they shall have paid “the last 
farthing.” At the end of their earthly pilgrimage, at 
the very threshold of heaven, they are debarred from 
its entrance through their own fault: oh, how bitter a 
sorrow, how sad a condition ! 


I he Cofidition oj Ihe Suffering Souls in Purgatory. 45 

40. Yet the punishment is not alike for all souls. 
God can join with it a species of consolation ; He can 
mitigate it by the hope of a speedy deliverance. Severe 
as the pain of loss is, its infliction concerns a loving 
soul, a soul willing to suffer and to atone in order to 
be made worthy of being united with the object of its 
eternal love. To such a loving soul God grants the 
necessary strength to bear its great trial with patience. 
Sure of the complacency of their Beloved, the Suffering 
Souls joyfully bear every pain of Purgatory with re¬ 
signation to the will of God. With St. Ignatius the 
Martyr they say: “Let the demons exhaust all their 
power in me, if I but possess Christ! ’’ Thus, un¬ 
doubtedly, they are not without consolation ; but their 
consolation is mixed with sorrow. Purgatory is not a 
place of reward, but of punishment. 

We read in St. Benedict's Stmmien, 1880: “A soul 
appearing to St. Mechtildis declared to her: T feel no 
pain, except that I am debarred from the vision of 
God, whom I long to see so ardently that if all the 
longings of all men on earth were united, they would 
seem nothing in comparison to the desire that con¬ 
sumes me’.”—Thus the Souls in Purgatory suffer the 
whole burden of the pain resulting from their sepa¬ 
ration from God, and from their unrequited desire of 
beholding Him, and this in so high a degree, that 
a pious religious, after an apparition he had, declared 
that he would suffer a thousand deaths for his bitterest 
enemy in order to save him from Purgatory, because 
its torments so greatly exceed the pains of this earth. 
The Suffering Souls’ thirst for God is more intense 
than the panting hart’s longing for water; yet it shall 
not be quenched until they shall have paid “the last 
farthing.” 


46 


Chapter II. 


% 11. The Suffering Souls’ Pain of Sense. 

41. Another kind of punishment to which the 
souls in Purgatory are subjected consists in the pain of 
se?ise. We cannot doubt its reality, knowing as we do 
that God even in this world makes use of various 
kinds of sufferings in order to purify a soul pleasing 
to Him. Temporary deprivation of God’s vision is 
the soul’s punishment in Purgatory for having, on 
earth, turned away from God, its supreme good; but 
the soul also sinned by turning to created things and 
enjoying in their possession a spurious delight and 
satisfaction. The punishment for this illicit sensual 
enjoyment is a sensible pain, b}^ which the unlawful 
delectation is atoned for. According to the general 
opinion of theologians, the pain of sense consists in 
fire. In his work De Civitate Dei^ Book xxi., St. Au¬ 
gustine says of the pain of sense in the next world: 
“ If the fire be not immaterial like the pain of the 
soul, but material, causing us to smart only when we 
touch it, then the question may be asked: how can it 
constitute a punishment for spirits?” And he an¬ 
swers: ” It is not necessary to engage in a long dis¬ 
putation or argument on this question. For what 
prohibits us to believe that spirits can be made sensi¬ 
tive albeit in a miraculous manner, of a material fire, 
when the spirit of man, which is truly immaterial, can 
be inclosed in the human body during natural life and 
after the day of judgment? The spirits, then, though 
having no body, will be bound to a material fire, 
experiencing pain from it, but giving it no nourish¬ 
ment. For also that other manner by which spirits 
are now joined to bodies, is truly wonderful and above 


The Condition of the Su fferSouls in Purgatory. 47 

the conception of man, and yet it is what constitutes 
man. I might say the spirits burn without having a 
body, the same as Dives burned in hell when he ex¬ 
claimed, ‘I am tormented in this flame’. . . . But that 
hell, which is called by Scripture a lake of fire and 
brimstone, shall be a material fire as was declared by 
eternal truth.” Theologians, with St. Thomas, teach 
that by divine co-operation fire exerts its influence on 
the souls physically and really ; it confines the soul 
to a certain space, and limits its activity there in a 
manner most violent and unnatural. The pain of 
sense, then, consists principally in a purifying, 
material fire. Although the suffering souls are 
destined for heaven, they are nevertheless denied ad¬ 
mission there because in the heavenly Jerusalem only 
the purest and finest gold is accepted. The Suffering 
Souls, though gold, are still defiled by the dross of the 
earth from which they were created. Therefore the 
Lord detains them in a fiery furnace, there to purif}^ 
them, like unrefined gold, of all dross and spurious ma¬ 
terial. “And He shall sit refining and cleansing the 
silver, and He shall purify the sons of Devi* and refine 
them as gold, and as silver.” (Malach. iii. 3.) This 
fire is a mo.st fierce, penetrating and all-consuming 
flame; a fire whose power immeasurably exceeds the 
strength of natural fire; a fire which causes infinitely 
greater pain than all pains, torments and penitential 
works of this world; for the souls are no longer 
limited in their power of endurance by the body, which 
can suffer only to a certain degree without succumb¬ 
ing. The Latin Church, through Pope Eugene and 
the Fathers of the Council of Florence, was about to 
declare as a dogma that the fire of Purgatory was a 


48 


Chapter II. 


material one, because this was and is the continual 
belief of the Church ; but in order to facilitate the 
union between the lyatin and Greek Churches, this 
declaration was deemed inopportune, the Greeks de¬ 
claring their belief in Purgatory, “but we do not argue 
whether it consists in fire, darkness or tempest;” and 
for the sake of peace the Council was content with 
this declaration. At all events the discussion served 
to establish clearly the Church’s belief in Purgatory. 

42. The existence of fire in Purgatory is vouched 
for also by numerous apparitions and private revela¬ 
tions. They demonstrate to our very eyes this fire as 
a material one, thus indicating that the words “fire” 
and “fiery torments” used by Scripture are to be 
taken in a literal sense. St. Bridget, of whom the 
Church, in her official prayer, says, “O God, who 
through Thy Divine Son didst reveal to blessed Brid¬ 
get heavenly mysteries,” was permitted in one of her 
ecstacies to witness how a soul was sentenced to a 
three-fold punishment: to an external and internal 
fire, an intense cold, and to furious assaults of the 
devil. Mechtildis of Magdeburg saw a lake of fire 
mixed with brimstone, in which the Suffering Souls 
had to bathe in order to be cleansed. According to 
St. Frances of Rome Purgatory consists of three apart¬ 
ments, one above the other, all alive with a clear, 
sparkling fire, unlike that of hell, which is dark and 
.sombre. Bautz, whom we follow in the above, relates 
of the Venerable Mary Anna Lindmayer: “Her 
friend Mary Becher and her mother appeared to her, 
and left marks of fire on one of her feet, which she 
saw and felt for weeks. At one time she beheld Pur- 
gator}" in the shape of a torrent of fiery water, at an- 


The Condition of the Suffering Souls in Purgatory. 49 


other, as a prison of fire. The souls themselves ap¬ 
peared to her as .sparks of fire falling about her. The 
appearance of some souls caused her to shiver with 
frost caused by the cold proceeding from them.” 

With the sole exception of their duration, the tor¬ 
ments of Purgatory are the very same as those of hell; 
the only difference is that the former are temporary, 
the latter everlasting. This is the doctrine of St. 
Thomas, who says: “ The same fire punishes the 
damned in hell and the just in Purgatory, and the 
least pain in Purgatory exceeds the greatest we can 
.suffer in this world.” It is true, then, that our works 
have to undergo purification after this life. As gold and 
silver are refined in the crucible, so are they cleansed 
of the dross of earthly imperfections in the flames of 
divine wrath. Oh, what an indescribable sea of fire 
in which the Suffering Souls are immersed ! Flames 
encircling them, flames penetrating them, flames un¬ 
ceasingly tormenting them ! 

12. Other Punishments of Purgatory. 

m, 

43. Although some theologians maintain that it is 
uncertain whether other methods of punishment are 
applied in Purgatory, we yet find proofs of it in Holy 
Scripture, in the writings of the Fathers, and in pri¬ 
vate revelations of trustworthy and saintly persons. 
In the Book of Wisdom we read : “ And He will 
sharpen His severe wrath for a spear, and the whole 
world shall fight with Him against the unwi.se.” 
(Wisd. VI. 21.) St. Bonaventure remarks on these 
words : “Therefore the damned are punished not by 
fire alone, but the other elements also co-operate, in 


50 


Chapter II. 


order that every creature might be enkindled for the 
punishment of the wicked and arm itself for revenge. 
But if we ask what is the condition of the elements in 
hell, we must answer that they are not separated from 
one another there, nor kept in a certain order, but they 
are in a state of confusion and disorder.” Fire being ac¬ 
cepted by some theologians as the onl3mieansof punish¬ 
ment, Bautz endeavors to reconcile both opinions in the 
following manner : “The interior of the earth being per¬ 
vaded by fire, all the elements are penetrated with it, 
and thus the whole creation appears armed with fire to 
avenge the injury done to the Creator. And because 
a means of punishment suited to all spirits is at hand, 
God, who creates no superfluities, makes use of this 
same means for the purification of the Suffering Souls.” 

44. The following examples from private revela¬ 
tions and apparitions had by saintly persons will ex¬ 
plain this. Though these revelations are not dogmas 
of faith, it would nevertheless be temerarious to dis¬ 
pute or deny them; for Holy Church herself, in the 
acts of the saints, aflirms that the latter were endowed 
with the gift of supernatural vision and prophecy. 
These miraculous revelations disclose to us not 
only the punishment of fire, but also other pun¬ 
ishments in connection with it; they inform us of 
souls surrounded at the same time by fire, by dark¬ 
ness, by cold, and by evil spirits tormenting them. 
St. Thomas Aquinas say's : “Their sufferings shall be 
the same as those of the damned except in their dura¬ 
tion.” The Venerable Catherine of Emmerich assures 
us: “There are places in Purgatory where evil spirits 
torment and frighten the spuls. These places are the 
most terrible, and we would be inclined to believe them 


The Condition of the Suffering Souts in Purgatory.• 51 


to be hell, except for the inexpressibly touching resig¬ 
nation of the Suffering Souls.”—Dion3\sius the Carthu¬ 
sian relates the apparition of a religious in England, 
who affirmed that the Souls in Purgatory are assaulted, 
beaten and tormented in various ways by the devils. 

The Suffering Souls are not only assaulted by their 
enemies, but they are also afflicted in consequence of the 
pious and zealous aspirations they had on earth. Let us 
instance this by the three theological virtues. The soul 
was imbued with divine faith : why did it not live ac¬ 
cordingly, thus rendering its present purification un¬ 
necessary? Why did it lose so much time in transi¬ 
tory things, when it hoped to gain heaven by the 
grace of Jesus Christ? Why did it profess to love God 
alone, when it divided its love between Him and the 
creatures? Thus all the virtues combine to confound 
the soul most painfully. Saul, having been captured 
by his enemies, said in desperation: “Draw thy 
sword and kill me, lest these uncircumcised come and 
slay me, and mock at me.” (I. Kings xxxi. 4.) 

45. In Purgatory, as in hell, those of our senses 
will have to undergo particular punishment, that 
served us more specially in committing sin, according 
to the adage : “Wherein man sins, therein is he pun¬ 
ished.” Thus St. Hedwig saw in a vision how the 
proud were plunged in mire and filth; the disobedient 
were burdened and bowed down as if by a heavy load; 
the intoxicated appeared as bereft of consciousnesss; 
the gluttons were tormented by continual hunger and 
thirst, the impure by fire.—The Venerable Sister 
Frances saw a notary handling his writing instru¬ 
ments ; a locksmith with a red hot hammer; a drunk¬ 
ard with a fiery cup; a vain woman clothed in burn- 


r.9 ♦ 

9}^ 


Chapter II. 


ing rags and having a loathsome face; an immodest 
person inexpressibly ugly, and surrounded by fire.— 
Blessed Margaret Mary Alacoque saw a deceased Sister 
lying on a fiery couch in punishment for her slothful¬ 
ness, her heart plucked to pieces for her murmurings, 
her tongue eaten up for her uncharitable remarks.— 
Of the Venerable Sister Mary Ann Lindmayer we 
read similar visions. A negligent priest appeared to 
her in the shape of a miserable candlestick with the 
stump of a candle. Those excessively fond of certain 
animals were sentenced to bear them about their 
necks. (Bautz, page 613.) 

Such and similar are the punishments to which the 
souls are condemned in their abode of miser}^ in their 
prison of darkness.—The Venerable Bede relates an 
occurrence which in his time created a great sensation 
in England and was readily believed. A man by the 
name of Drycthelm died after a severe illness. After 
being dead for a night, he rose again to the great ter¬ 
ror of the bystanders. Then he related his experi¬ 
ences in the next world as follows : “A young guide 
conducted my soul into an extensive valley full of 
horrors and darkness, so that I was filled with terror. 
It was divided into two apartments, one filled with 
fire and flames, the other with snow, ice and frost. 
There I beheld a countless number of Suffering Souls, 
hideously disfigured and fearfully tormented, and 
pressing forward like a stream from one apartment 
into the other. They precipitated themselves from 
the icy lake into the flames, from the cold into the 
fire, finding no rest. I imagined I saw the torments 
of hell, so great were the sufferings I witnessed. But 
my guide corrected me, telling me it was only Purga- 


• The Cojidition of the Suffering Souls in Purgatory, 58 

tory, and in particular the abode of such souls as had 
delayed their repentance till on their deathbed, for 
which they were sentenced to Purgatory till the day 
of general judgment. But the prayers of the faithful, 
their suffrages of alms, penance and fasting, and par¬ 
ticularly the Holy Masses offered up for them, relieve 
them in their torments, abbreviate their punishment 
and hasten the time of their deliverance.” This por¬ 
trayal of the sufferings in Purgatory is far from over¬ 
drawn : it rather does not justice to the reality. Con¬ 
vinced of this, St. Bernard exhorts us: “Brethren, put 
away from you the old leaven as long as there is time. 
The days of probation pass away, whether we use them 
for our purification or not; but woe to us if they are 
fulfilled before our cleansing is accomplished, so that 
we have to be purified in that fire, than which nothing 
in this world can be imagined more painful, smarting 
and acute.” The holy Fathers and theological writers 
in general coincide with this view. 

§ 13. Consolations in Purgatory. 

46. Every soul in Purgatory is a beloved child of 
God, and is conscious of this childhood with a higher 
degree of certainty than are the most saintly and godly 
souls in this world. This consciousness fills the Holy 
Souls with consolation amid the greatest torments of 
Purgatory. When St. Francis of Assisi had been 
assured in a vision that he was among the elect, 
he exclaimed in an ecstacy of heavenly delight: 
“Paradise, O Paradise! We shall enter Paradise!” 
So great was his rapture at this assurance, that he 
henceforth despised all transitory things. 


54 


Chapter II. 


Mindful of the consolation of the Holy Souls at 
the assurance of their future beatitude, St. Francis of 
Sales says, “The thought of Purgatory is productive 
rather of consolation than of terror. Most persons 
are afraid of Purgatory, because they regard themselves 
rather than the glory of God.” And he ascribes this 
to those preachers who refer only to the punishments 
of the middle state, and do not remind their hearers 
also of the consolations and joys by which the suffer¬ 
ings of the Holy Souls are mitigated. “Great as the 
torments of Purgatory are,” he continues, “so that 
they can not in any way be compared with the utmost 
suffering in this world, the interior consolations 
granted there are nevertheless so ineffable that no 
earthly bliss and enjoyment can equal them.” 

Even in this life there are occasions when joy and 
sorrow dwell together in the human heart. For years 
the lover suffers for his beloved, enduring hunger and 
thirst, cold and heat amid self-denials and labors, in 
order to prepare a home for himself and the object of 
his affections. The saints did the same in a still 
higher degree to attain the divine object of their love. 
How resignedly, how joyously they suffered on the 
rack, the cross, by fire, in torments of every descrip¬ 
tion—all the while loudly praising God ! Remember 
St. Stephen, St. Lawrence, St. Ignatius, St. Agnes, 
St. Felicitas, St. Apollonia and others. God is admir¬ 
able in His saints, as on earth and in heaven, so also in 
Purgatory. Undoubtedly all the souls in Purgatory 
join with grateful hearts in the words of St. Chry¬ 
sostom, “If I had to pass through a thousand hells, 
but were assured of finding paradise in the end—how 


The Condition of the Suffering Souls in Purgatory. 55 

pleasant these hells would be to me!” The Holy 
Souls, in their sufferings, experience a greater conso¬ 
lation than the saints on earth do in theirs. The 
former are conscious of their impeccability, they are 
confirmed in charity, and are no longer in danger of 
offending God. 

47. The Holy Souls are not only sure of their 
eternal destiny, but know also how long they have to 
suffer, and that every moment of delay prolongs the 
duration of their exclusion from paradise. Accus¬ 
tomed to submit to the will of God in everything, 
they joyfully endure their pains ; yea, they hasten to 
betake themselves to the flames in order to accelerate 
their purification. The saints on earth did the same. 
Many of them retired voluntarily to a desert, to a con¬ 
vent cell, to a high pillar, to serve God in austere atone¬ 
ment; others delivered themselves to their executors, 
willingly suffering the torments of fire, of the rack 
and the sword to cancel the indebtedness contracted 
by their own sins, and to make reparation for the sins 
of others. The Holy Souls in Purgatory are animated 
by the same zeal for appeasing God’s justice. Their zeal 
is so great, that not only do they not decline to suffer, 
but they w’ould consent to their very annihilation for the 
greater glory of God ; for God’s will is their will. 
They praise God’s justice, their suffering is voluntary 
and loving. Unselfish, their sole desire is to please 
God by love alone. They find sweet satisfaction in 
the exercise of charity and patience for these virtues’ 
own sake, without reference to any other reward but 
that of pleasing Him whom they love, and who loves 
them with a divine love. This is essentially a heavenly 
consolation for these Holy Souls. 


Chapter II. 


oG 


48. On the consolations of Purgatory St. Cathe¬ 
rine of Genoa remarks : “There is no peace to be com¬ 
pared with that of the souls in Purgatory, save that of 
the saints in Paradise, and this peace is ever aug¬ 
mented by the inflowing of God into these souls, 
which increases in proportion as the impediments to 
it are removed. The rust of sin is the impediment, 
and this the fire consumes, so that the soul in this 
state is continually opening itself to divine communi¬ 
cation. On the other hand it is true that the souls in 
Purgatory suffer torments which no tongue can de¬ 
scribe nor intelligence comprehend unless assisted by 
a special grace of God. True, the love of God by 
which the soul is suffused fills it, as far as I can see, 
with an ineffable contentment; but this contentment 
does not take away from the souls in Purgatorj^ the 
least particle of their torments. On the contrary, this 
love, feeling itself impeded, is the source of their pain, 
which is increased proportionately to the perfection of 
their love. And it seems to me that I see the punish¬ 
ment of these souls to consist rather in discerning in 
themselves something displeasing to God and in hav¬ 
ing voluntarily admitted it despite His great goodness, 
than in any other torment they have to suffer in Pur¬ 
gatory. They are so contented with the divine dis¬ 
pensations in their regard, and with doing all that is 
pleasing to God in the way in which He chooses, that 
they cannot think of themselves. They see nothing 
but the divine operation which is so manifestly bring¬ 
ing them to God that they can reflect neither on the 
pain nor on the consolations of their state. It would 
seem insupportable to a soul to see that due repara¬ 
tion was not made to God; to be freed from this rem- 


The Condition of the Siijfering Souls in Pui^gatory. 


57 


nant of rust it would suffer a thousand hells rather 
than appear before Him without being completely 
cleansed. Thus knowing that Purgatory is intended 
for the cleansing of these stains, the soul casts itself 
into it, and considers the removal of the impediments 
a great mercy.” (yLecJmer^ Life mid Works of St. 
Catherine of Genoa) 

49. The Church, in the Office of the Dead, con¬ 
firms this doctrine, and describes in a touching man¬ 
ner the joyously sorrowful condition of the Suffering 
Souls. Their past, their present state, and their bliss¬ 
ful future is placed vividly before our eyes. We are 
reminded of their ardent love, of their joyful praise of 
God ; of their undisturbed peace, their sweet, unshaken 
hope. On the other hand we are shown their ineffable 
pain, profound sorrow, bitter want, their insatiable 
yearning and mournful plaint. 

In order, however, to fully understand what was 
hitherto explained, and what appears to us full of 
mysteries, we must attentively contemplate the most 
sacred humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ. At the 
consummation of His passion, when suffering the 
agonies of death. He not only seemed forsaken by 
His Heavenly Father, but so to say by His own Self, 
because He would not permit His divinity to console 
His humanity. Blissful in His divinity, Jesus was so 
encompassed by sorrow in His humanity, that He ex¬ 
claimed in the Garden, “My soul is sorrowful unto 
death;” and on the cross, “My God, my God, why 
hast Thou forsaken me !” This is a true image of the 
gladsome yet sorrowful condition of the Suffering 
Souls in Purgatory; on the one hand they are un¬ 
happy, on the other replete with hope and heavenly 
consolation. 


58 


Chapter II. 


50. The torments of Purgatory ought to imbue 
us with a holy fear of offending God ; they ought to 
excite us to the performance of penitential works and 
fill us with a continual dread of the judgments of God. 
Drycthelm, whose resuscitation was referred to in a 
preceding paragraph, thenceforth was not content to 
lead a truly Christian life; but intent on living a 
model of penitence and dying a saint, he divided his 
property amongst his family and the poor, and retired 
to a monastery, where he lived so austerely, that his 
rigor astonished all England. He imitated the meek¬ 
ness and fervor of the Holy Souls; and when asked 
by his religious brethren how he w^as able, at his ad¬ 
vanced age, to persevere in so austere a life, he re¬ 
plied, “My dear brethren, the rigors that I witnessed 
exceeded mine by far. These practices are nothing in 
comparison to what I saw in Purgatory.” 

51. There are'people who cannot bear the thought 

of Purgatory. They are distressed to think that after 

\ 

serving God all their lives, after passing victoriously 
through their many trials, they should proceed from 
the sufferings on their death-bed to remain for years 
in the cleansing flames of an unparalleled fire. Eet 
them abandon their unreasonable dread. If we die in 
the love of God we will be reconciled to the ordinations 
of His will. We will rejoice at escaping hell, at being 
sure of our salvation, at .suffering purification accord¬ 
ing to the will of God and for love of Him, without ex¬ 
pecting increase of our merit or our reward; we will 
rejoice that every obstacle to the operation of grace 
and to the practice of virtue is removed from us, and 
that we are drawing nearer and nearer to God without 
the least danger of ever losing Him. Justified souls 


The Condition of the Suffering Souls in Purgatory. 5 (> 


rejoice at undergoing that final purification which en¬ 
ables them to render complete reparation to the offended 
majesty of God, and they regard their sufferings as a 
favor of divine mercy. Therefore, to feel distressed at 
the prospect of Purgatory indicates a want of submis¬ 
sion to the will of God. Faber observes, that who¬ 
soever considers himself as having deserved hell, is 
glad and grateful to go to Purgatory. 

52. Finally, there are others, such as do not wish 
to amend their lives, who are wont to declare that they 
will be satisfied to go to Purgatory after death, if only 
they escape hell. They speak without reflection 
and know not what they say. .For if they continue 
voluntarily in their vices and sins, they will have to 
suffer a most intense Purgatory if they are so fortunate 
as to escape hell. Then there may be even pious per-, 
sons inclined to make little of the punishments of Pur¬ 
gatory, because of the consolations granted to the Suf¬ 
fering Souls, albeit the pain is thereby not diminished 
in the least. Such depreciation of the torments of 
purification is offensive to God. Faber informs us, 
that when Blessed Henry Suso, as a consequence of 
his familiar intercourse with God, began to think less 
of the punishments of Purgatory, our Ford warned 
him that this was displeasing to Him. For Purgatory 
is a place of punishment, not of reward. Therefore 
many theologians declare that the least pain of Pur¬ 
gatory exceeds by far not only every temporal suffer¬ 
ing, but the sum of all temporal sufferings. 


Chapter II. 


CO 

^ 14. The Duration of Purgatory. 

53. At the Last Judgment the condition of purifi¬ 
cation comes to an end for all souls in Purgatory. 
This is the belief of the Church, founded on the 
doctrine of that final event. “And these” (the 
wicked) “shall go into everlasting punishment, but 
the just into life everlasting.” (Matth. xxv. 46.) Hence 
St. Augustine remarks : “The Christian is therefore 
to hold that there is no Purgatory, except before the 
last and tremendous judgment.” Those that die 
shortly before the Last Judgment will have to suffer 
greatly by the occurrences preceding it, which God 
will perhaps reckon for their punishment. Moreover 
the holy Fathers declare that God may so increase the 
intensity of their punishment that they atone for their 
faults in a short time. It is certain, then, that the 
punishment of Purgatory is not everlasting, for in this 
case there would be no difference between it and hell. 
It is certain also that the duration of Purgatory will 
not last beyond the final judgment, for after it there 
will be only heaven and hell. Finally, it is beyond 
doubt that the torments of Purgatory will not be of 
the same duration, nor of the same intensity for all 
souls; for justice admits not of equality of punishment 
where there is no equality of guilt. 

54. It is difficult, or rather impossible, to demon¬ 
strate how long the punishment of particular souls 
will last. St. Augustine teaches that the duration of 
punishment in Purgatory for a soul is fixed according 
to the measure of sin and penance of each individual. 
The duration may be measured by days, and yet, on ac¬ 
count of the intensity of pain, it may seem much longer. 


The Condition of the Suffering Souls in Purgatory. 61 


Brother Constantine of the Redeemer appeared after 
his death and said, “I suffered three days, and they 
seemed to me to have been three thousand years.” 
For certain souls Purgatory, not abbreviated through 
the intercession of the faithful, may last until the end 
of time; for our Judge is just, and “it is a dreadful 
thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” 
(Hebr. x. 31.) It is only by the special favor of the 
goodness and mercy of God that we are permitted to 
shorten the sufferings of the souls in Purgatory. 
When, therefore, souls suffer a long time in it, it is in 
great part the fault of surviving Christians, who 
are either careless and lukewarm in their prayers for 
them, or have too high an opinion of their virtues. 
Another reason for the long duration of the suffering 
of some souls is their inability’' to do anything for 
themselves, the great number of faults and negligences 
of which they have been guilt)^ and particularly their 
neglect and want of charity during life for the sou's of 
the faithful departed; finally, the immaculate purity 
required of those that enter heaven. We append a 
few examples of long 'suffering in Purgatory, taken 
from the revelations of saintly persons. 

According to Venerable Marina of Escobar some 
souls are sentenced to a punishment of twenty, thirty, 
forty, fifty, sixty years and more. One soul told her 
that it had been sentenced for a period of almost 
inconceivable duration, but by the aid of suffrages the 
time had been shortened. The Venerable Sister Fran¬ 
ces of the Blessed Sacrament relates : Some pious Car¬ 
melite Sisters had to suffer for twenty, forty and fifty 
years, and still their deliverance was delayed. A pious 
bishop was in Purgatory ninety-five years for some 


<32 


Chapter II. 


negligences; a priest forty years for similar reasons ; 
a nobleman sixty-five years on account of his fondness 
for gambling; another soul had suffered for eight years 
when it appeared to Frances. The Venerable Cath¬ 
erine Emmerich, a great friend of the Suffering Souls, 
mentions souls that were in Purgatory for centuries. 
She relates : “I was led to the various abodes of the 
souls, and remember being transported to a mountain 
whence a soul advanced towards me, wearing a chain 
and surrounded b}^ a red blaze. It had been there for 
a long time, abandoned by everybody, remembered by 
and prayed for by no one. It was the soul of a man 
whose education had been neglected, and it seemed to 
me, by the fault of his mother. He had retained a 
kind of dread and respect for the Blessed Virgin Mary. 
Once, when passing an image of the Blessed Mother, 
he was tempted to destroy it, but refrained from doing 
so by some emotional impulse. After this he was 
attacked by a malignant fever, and desired to make 
his confession, but became unconscious before he 
could do so. Yet, he had the grace to make an act of 
perfect contrition before his death, and thereby was 
saved. He said that Holy Masses would be of parti¬ 
cular assistance to him, and that his term of punish¬ 
ment would be shortened greatly by suffrages of every 
kind.” iSc/mioeger, Revelations of Catherine Einmerichl) 
Faber, speaking of the duration of the punishment 
in Purgatory, says: “ If Sister Frances beheld the 
souls of many pious Carmelite Sisters, some of whom 
had been favored with the gift of miracles during life, 
still suffering in Purgatory ten, twenty, thirty and 
sixty years after their death, and even then not near 
their deliverance, what must become of us and ours?” 


The Condition of the Suffering Souls in Purgatory. (53 

55. Many Holy Souls not found sufficient!}^ pure 
to enter heaven at their death, suffer long in Purgatory 
because we deny them the aid of our suffrages in the 
belief that they are high in the glory of heaven, whilst 
they are helpless in the torments of the middle state. 
We deem it an act of Christian charity to regard our 
deceased beloved ones as beyond the need of purifica¬ 
tion; hence the misplaced phrase, “The dead are at 
rest; they are better off than we,” etc. This is a de¬ 
lusion, by which satan but too often succeeds in caus¬ 
ing us to neglect our dead. P'or though the souls in 
Purgatory are assured of their salvation, and are no 
longer subject to temptation, they are yet deprived, as 
long as they are detained in Purgatory, of giving that 
glory to God which He receives by the adoration and 
praise of perfectly pure souls. By thus influencing 
persons to refrain from praying for their deceased 
friends, the devil evidences his hatred of God and his 
envy of the Holy Souls, and we, by listening to his 
suggestions, become instruments of his malice if we 
neglect, under the semblance of charity, to come to 
the aid of our suffering friends. In this respect St. 
Augustine is an example worthy of imitation. It is 
related of him that for twelve, yea, for thirty years 
after his mother’s death he continued to celebrate 
Holy Mass himself, and caused it to be celebrated by 
others, for the repose of her soul, and that he urgently 
implored the prayers of the faithful for her. 

56. The Venerable Cure d’Ars, J. B. Vianney, 
reckons among the forsaken souls those of bishops, 
priests and other pious persons who died in the fame 
of sanctity, or at least had better opportunities of 
sanctifying themselves than common Christians. Ac- 


Chapter II. 


G4 

cording to the rule that much shall be required of 
them to whom much has been given, such souls are 
subjected to a severer scrutiny than the generality of 
Christians. Ecclesiastical writers often dwell on the 
fact that priests and superiors have to undergo a par¬ 
ticularly long and painful purification in Purgatory. 
Moreover, it is a sad experience that no person is for¬ 
gotten so easily and so soon after death, as the priest; 
in some instances the faithful have so high an opinion 
of his sublime dignity and virtue that they resent the 
thought of his being in Purgatory ; in other instances 
it is a punishment of his neglect in coming to the 
relief of the Suffering Souls. 

The Venerable Sister Frances had apparitions of 
two popes, who begged her prayers for the abbrevi¬ 
ation of their long Purgator}"; of a Cardinal, who suf¬ 
fered thirty years for some negligences; of a Spanish 
bishop, who had been in Purgatory seven years for 
seeking his own advancement in his high ofiice, and 
for neglecting some of its duties; of several priests of 
Pampeluna, who had suffered forty and fifty years for 
faults of idleness, of ambition, and of neglect of duty. 
One priest that appeared to her had to suffer for dis¬ 
tractions during the recitation of the divine ofiice, for 
undue haste in the celebration of Mass, for ambition 
and for fickleness in his good resolutions.—To these 
examples might be added a number of others from 
unimpeachable sources; but we deem them sufficient 
to fill us with intense pity for the Suffering Souls, and 
to induce us to reject the practice of praising the de¬ 
ceased for their good qualities and actions, meanwhile 
forgetting that their debts have to be paid “to the last 
farthing,” which we can and ought to do for them by 


The Condition of the Suffering Souls in Purgatory. 65 

our prayers. It does great harm to them and to us to 
believe that they do not need our prayers. Such 
.souls become the most Ijorsaken and forgotten ones, 
and we expose ourselves to the danger of experiencing 
the truth of the words of Scripture: “With what 
judgment you judge, you shall be judged; and with 
what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you 
again.” (Matth. vii. 2.) 

57. That Purgatory is of long duration, that it is 
extended to centuries, and, for some souls, even to the 
da}^ of general judgment, can be gathered also from 
the works of theological writers, and from the prayers 
of the Church. ^ Some of the holy Fathers explain the 
difficult passage in the first epistle of St. Peter, where 
he mentions those as saved “which had been some¬ 
time incredulous when they waited for the patience of 
God in the time of Noe.” (I. Pet. iii. 20.) Many, 
they say, seeing the prediction of Noe fulfilled, were 
undoubtedly converted, and repenting, were pardoned 
by God. They perished in the waters which covered 
the earth, and their souls were detained in the prison 
of which St. Peter speaks, until the Redeemer ap¬ 
peared amongst them after His death, and announced 
to them their deliverance. Thus they had to suffer in 
Purgatory many centuries. 

The heinousness of mortal sin, the multitude of 
sins, though pardoned and remitted as to the guilt 
and eternal punishment, by their very nature demand 
a long duration of temporal punishment. In her an¬ 
cient liturgical prayers the Church intercedes for all 
the departed since the creation of the world.—Another 
proof of the possibility of a long duration of the punish¬ 
ment in Purgatory is found in the fact that there are 


Chapter II. 


6G 


SO called perpetual foundations of Masses, of Masses to , 
be said as long as the church in which they are founded 
exists. In the ages of faith this laudable pious cus¬ 
tom was very general, and it is most commendable. 
For w^ho knows but what the souls of our departed 
ones are among the number of those unfortunates, 
who, if they are not assisted by our suffrages, see the 
end of their sufferings only after the lapse of years, so 
that they, poor children of the vSacred-Heart, pine and 
sigh for relief in their torments? Oh, how few Chris¬ 
tians know the true state of their conscience, the ; 
actual amount of their indebtedness to divine justice, 
to be paid after their departure frq^i this world! ^ 
True, our Judge is merciful, but His mercy does not 
abate His justice; and this is appeased only by good 1 
works in Christ Jesus, our Redeemer: b}* Holy Mass, \ 
prayer, alms-deeds and acts of mortification, or other ; 
works for the relief of the Holy Souls.— Christian ] 
soul, what have you done, what do you do for this i 
purpose? j 

§ 15. The Location of Purgatory. • 

K 

58. The general opinion of scholastic theologians, 
adhered to also by Bellarmine, is that Purgatory is j 
located in the interior of the earth, very near to hell. \ 
This, also the common belief of the faithful, is con- j 
firmed by the liturgical prayers of the Church, and by • 
the testimony of Holy Scripture. 

The Church prays: “Deliver, O Lord, the souls of 
the faithful departed from the punishment of hell and 
from the deep abyss.” In this passage she calls 
Purgatory “hell,” that is, a deep subterraneous cavern ^ 
next to the hell of the damned. St. Thomas teaches : 



The Conditiofi of the Suffer mg Souls in Purgatory. G7 


explicitly, “Purgatory is connected with hell, and this 
in such a manner that the same fire torments the 
damned and purifies the just.” Hell, however, accord¬ 
ing to the unanimous acceptation of theologians, is 
located in the interior of our earth. St. Augustine finds 
this quite appropriate, and in support of this theory 
he quotes Ecclesiasticus : “I will penetrate to all the 
lower parts of the earth, and will behold all that sleep, 
and will enlighten all that hope in the Lord.” (Eccli. 
XXIV. 45.) St. Bridget, speaking of the severity of 
the punishments of Purgatory, refers to its location as 
follows: “The severest pains and torments are above 
hell, in its neighborhood, where the devils also trouble 
the souls.” Venerable Bede also notices, in his his¬ 
tory of England, the well-known revelation of Brother 
Drycthelm, by which the general opinion is confirmed, 
that Purgatory proper is in the interior of the earth. 

59. Nevertheless we must not view Purgatory as be¬ 
ing always one and the same local prison. In the visions 
of many saintly persons are mentioned various places 
where the Holy Souls are purified and suffer their Pur¬ 
gatory. Faber observes: “Some revelations relate of 
souls that are not confined in a local prison, but 
undergo their punishment in the air, or next to their 
graves, or near the altars of the Blessed Sacrament, or 
in the rooms of those praying for them, or amid the 
scenes of their former frivolity and vanity.” Accord¬ 
ing to the St. Benedict's Stmimen, the Venerable Sister 
Frances of the Blessed Sacrament had visions of 
Sisters who were sentenced to suffer in their former 
homes, in their convent cells, in choir, or in other 
places where they had committed faults. The Vener¬ 
able Bernard Colnago, S. J. saw at Rome a soul that 


G8 


Chapter II. 


expiated its faults for forty-three years in one of the 
streets. According to the opinion of most spiritual 
writers the souls suffering in various places by far 
outnumber those of the Church militant. Hence Our 
Lord said in a vision to St. Marina, “Do not be aston¬ 
ished, but know that in proportion to those that re¬ 
main in Purgatory the number of souls you are to 
liberate is like a drop of water in a mighty stream.” 
Declaring that scholastic theologians generally coin¬ 
cide with this view concerning the great number of 
souls sentenced to suffer in various places, Bautz says : 
“St. Thomas remarks that the opinion of the saints 
and numerous revelations render the acceptance of a 
two-fold place of purification probable. Purgatory 
proper is located in the depth, adjacent to hell. But 
by divine decree there are other places of purification, 
for we read that Suffering Souls were found here and 
there on earth. God has so disposed: first, for the 
conversion of the living, that they might learn from 
such evidence how sin is punished in after-life; 
secondly, for the relief of the departed, in order that 
the living might be reminded of the needs of these 
souls and hasten to come to their aid.” 

What a view is opened to us in this phase of future 
life! Such a number of souls suffering in so man^^ 
places of purification! And again, the multitude in 
Purgatory proper, in that silent, quiet abode of suf¬ 
ferers, presided over by the Mother of Mercy, the 
Blessed Virgin Mary, where angels are the ever will¬ 
ing ministers of her clemency ! For these souls the 
suffrage of our prayers is asked, that their deliverance 
may be hastened by the application of the expiatory 
merits of Jesus Christ and His saints.—Christian soul. 





The Condition of the Suffering Souls in Purgatory. G9 


what part have you hitherto taken in their deliver¬ 
ance ? Were you intent, at least to some degree, on 
coming to their aid by prayer, alms-deeds and Holy 
Masses?—“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall ob¬ 
tain mercy.” (Matth. v. 7.) 

§ 16. Credibility of Apparitions of Departed Souls.. 

60. Bellarmine proposes the question whether 
souls return from Purgatory to this world. This 
question is by no means irrational, as many are in¬ 
clined to believe. It is remarkable that in our day 
there are so many, even pious and learned persons, 
who are in general disinclined to believe in apparitions 
of the dead, not even admitting that there may be ex¬ 
ceptions; and yet such apparitions are fully corrobo¬ 
rated by the testimony of Holy Scripture and attested by 
most reliable witnesses. In the Old Testament we have 
apparitions of Samuel, Jeremias and Onias; in the 
New Testament Moses and Elias appear on Mount 
Thabor. At Our Lord’s death on the cross, “the 
graves were opened, and many bodies of the saints 
that had slept, arose. And coming out of the tombs 
after His resurrection, came into the holy city and 
appeared to many.” (Matth. xxvii. 52, 53.) The 
Venerable Catherine Emmerich, in her book of visions, 
says in relation to this passage, “The highpriest Za- 
charias, slain between the temple and the altar, ap¬ 
peared in the sanctum and spoke threatening words ; he 
also referred to the death of that other Zacharias, whom 
Herod had ordered to be killed, and to that of St. John, 
and to the murder of the prophets in general. Two sons 
of the pious highpriest Simon the Just, an ancestor of 
Simeon who prophecied at the presentation of Jesus 


70 


Chapter II. 


in the temple, appeared in the great pulpit as spirits of 
enlarged form. They denounced the murder of the 
prophets, declared that the sacrifice was now at an end, 
and exhorted all to believe in the doctrine of the 
Crucified. At the altar Jeremias appeared issuing 
threats, and declaring that the sacrifice of the Old 
Law now gave way to that of the new dispensation. 
The apparitions and exhortations in places to which 
Caiphas alone had access were kept secret and denied, 
and those that dared to mention them were threatened 
with severe penalties. Then I saw the portals of the 
sanctuary open amid a great noise. A voice ex¬ 
claimed, ‘Let us go hence!’ and the angels left the 
temple. The altar of incense trembled and a censer 
fell, the case containing the Scriptures was over¬ 
turned, and the sacred books were tumbled out. The ^ 
confusion increased, and the time of day was forgotten. 
Here and there lay dead bodies; other dead walked 
about among the people and spoke threats ; at the 
sound of the voice of the angels leaving the temple 
they returned to their tombs. Whilst this was going 
on in the temple, similar consternation was visible 
throughout all Jerusalem. Immediately after three 
o’clock many graves opened, particularly in the north¬ 
western part of the city. Pilate, confused and super¬ 
stitious, was greatly terrified and incapable of attend¬ 
ing to his duties. The earthquake shook his palace, 
which rocked to and fro whilst he fled from one room 
into another. The dead appeared in the adjoining 
court-yard and upbraided him with his unjust sentence 
and contradicting judgment. Herod, in his palace, 
was beside himself with fear, and had all his aparts- 
ments closed up.” 


1 he Co7idition oj the Suffering Souls in Purgatory. 71 


Apparitions of angels are also frequently mentioned 
in Scripture. These pure spirits, though never clothed 
with a body, yet appeared in visible form to Abraham 
and partook of food with him. Angels appeared to 
Hagar, to Lot, to Jacob, to Balaam, to the Israelites, 
to Gideon, to the mother of Samson, to David, to Elias, 
to the servant of Eliseus, to Tobias, to Sidrach and his 
companions, to Judas the Machabee and his warriors; 
to the Blessed Virgin Mary, to St. Joseph, to the 
shepherds at Bethlehem, etc., etc. Verily, whosoever 
denies the possibility of such apparitions, professes 
little knowledge of the supernatural, and denies his 
belief in Holy Scripture, which attests that souls and 
spirits appeared from the other world. 

6 i. The holy Fathers also regarded the appari¬ 
tions which the martyrs and other saintly persons had 
as genuine. Who would have the presumption to fix 
a boundary in this matter, thus circumscribing the 
omnipotence of God by a denial of the possibility of 
apparitions?—St. Augustine relates that a deceased 
father appeared to his son, declaring invalid a debt he 
was .said to have contracted before his death.—St. 
Gregory of Tours mentions that St. Vitalina appeared 
to St. Martin.—St. Peter Damian describes how a 
priest saw the soul of St. Severin,archbishop of Cologne. 
—Sister Frances of the Blessed Sacrament was continu¬ 
ally visited by the Holy Souls; at all hours of the day 
and night they thronged about her, asking her prayers 
and help. Often they would appear to her surrounded 
by fire; at other times, black and emitting sparks; 
again as shadows, or in hideous forms. If she was in 
choir, they would wait near the door; and when she left, 
they followed her to her cell or wherever she went, to 


72 


Chapter II. 


inform her of their wants. If they found their bene¬ 
factress asleep, they would remain standing at her bed¬ 
side without disturbing her in order not to frighten 
her. On All Souls’ day especially they appeared in 
great numbers. Among them were many souls long 
ago forgotten on earth, particularly those of poor 
patients who had died in hospitals, and ef soldiers 
fallen in war. Concerning the latter she remarked, 
“They seemed to be a whole army.” She would liken 
the number of.souls about her with the throngs 
crowding a church on extraordinary occasions. Some¬ 
times these souls brought her messages of other souls 
that were not permitted to visit her. Thus one of the 
deceased Sisters of her convent brought her a message 
of four other Sisters who were not allowed to leave 
Purgatory. 

Similar instances are related of Louis of Blois, 
Mary of the Angels, Joanna of Jesus-Mary, Gertrude 
of Domiuico, Bernardine of the Cross, Benedicta of 
Brescia, and a great number of others, particu¬ 
larly of Catherine Emmerich. St. Bernard, St. Thomas 
Aquinas, St. Alphonsus Liguori, and the holy Fathers 
generally, accept these apparitions unhesitatingly and 
refer to them in their writings as to facts. The same 
is true of other spiritual writers, for instance Dionysius 
the Carthusian, Louis Blosius, Thomas a Kempis; also 
of the most renowned historians of the Church, such as 
Baronius, Surius, the Bollandists, Calmet, Stolberg, 
Butler, etc.; then of the great theologians. Blessed 
Peter Canisius, Bellarniine, Suarez and others. Finally, 
the Church herself,* after due investigation during 
processes of canonization, often declared the authen¬ 
ticity of such apparitions and recognized theni as 


1 he Condilion of the Suffering Souls in Purgatory. 73 

genuine by pontifical Briefs. The possibility, then, of 
such apparitions is demonstrated by an uninterrupted 
chain of facts running back through centuries, and 
supported by a mass of trustworthy and reliable, yea, 
ecclesiastical and divine evidence. 

62. In view of this mass of facts, which might 
easily be increased, it is inexplicable how a faithful 
Catholic can entertain doubts concerning this matter. 
According to St. Augustine it would be great temerity 
to deny that the souls of the departed cannot, with 
God’s permission, return to us; for nobody can doubt 
with any show of reason the testimony of these un¬ 
impeachable authorities concerning the return of Suffer¬ 
ing Souls to this world. To the objection, that spirits 
have no body, and are therefore invisible, we reply: 
If it was and still is possible for angels to appear, why 
not also for souls, if God empowers them to act on the 
corporeal world? If it was possible to God’s omnipo¬ 
tence to permit angels and souls from Limbo to appear 
to men on earth, it is certainly not unreasonable to 
ascribe to the same omnipotence the possibility of per¬ 
mitting souls to appear to men for the purpose of in¬ 
voking the aid of or thanking their benefactors. 

63. Concerning the manner how these apparitions 
and manifestations of souls from Purgatory are brought 
about, St. Thomas and St. Augustine incline to the 
opinion that in many cases there occurs a supernatural 
action of angels on the mind of those to whom they 
are granted. Moreover, it is likely that the souls, like 
the angels, can manifest themselves in such a manner 
that they produce perceptible images on a person’s 
mind without appearing visibly to him. Of the Ven¬ 
erable Lindmayer we read that she often heard the 


74 


Chapter II. 


Suffering Souls calling on her for help, felt them 
fanning a cold wind to her face or tugging at her dress, 
though she did not see them. Other souls manifested 
themselves by groaning or rustling which was heard 
also by others in the house. The souls can also appear 
as phantoms, and are able, with the assistance of the 
angels, to reproduce all the actions of a real body, such 
as movement, sound, speech, light and warmth. 

Whenever our attention is directed to the departed 
souls by any one of these kinds of manifestation, it 
is a sign of the great mercy of God towards the Suffer¬ 
ing Souls and towards us. Such apparitions make us 
aware of the great distress of the Church suffering, of 
which Church we on earth often have not the least con¬ 
ception, and which yet is entirely dependent on us 
for help. A Holy Mass, a rosary, an alms, a mortifi¬ 
cation, some other good work, even a compassionate 
ejaculation or pious thought offered up confidently to 
the Sacred Heart of Jesus for the Suffering Souls, is 
powerful to create an ineffable joy in that mystic abode. 
At the same time the apparition of a Suffering Soul, 
or a visible manifestation of its distress, is a salutary 
admonition for the living, whereby they are reminded 
most impressively amid their carelessness, frivolity and 
tepidity of the severe judgments of God. 


On the Means of Relieving the Su feeing Souls. 


75 


CHAPTER 111. 

On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Soiils. 

§ 17. On the Means of Relief in General. 

64. Each member of the human body has its own 
duty to perform: the feet walk, the hands work, the 
ears hear, the eyes see. Whatever a member does, it 
does it not for its own sake alone, but also for the sake 
of the other members, thus contributing to the welfare 
of the whole body. Our members are united with one 
another in such a manner that the sensation of pleasure 
or pain is felt not only by the member immediately 
affected, but more or less by all. By this sympathy 
the various members are moved to co-operate with and 
assist one another as much as possible. The head is the 
most prominent part of the body; from it proceeds all 
life; without it the members are dead. The Catholic 
Church is constituted similar to the human body. The 
members of the Church of Jesus Christ either triumph 
together in heaven, militate on earth, or suffer in 
Purgatory. And because they are all most intimately 
united, they sympathize most cordially in their mutual 
joys and sufferings. We on earth rejoice at the blissful 
state of our glorified brethren and sisters in heaven; 
we feel afflicted at the sufferings of the souls in Purga¬ 
tory; we are filled wdth consolation or sorrow accord¬ 
ing to the intelligence we receive concerning our living 
brethren. This sj^mpathy impels us to assist one 



76 


Chapter III. 


another in all our needs and troubles. The spiritual 
goods of the Church are the common property of her 
children; they all share in them in as far as they have 
need and are worthy of them. The Head of this body 
of the faithful is Christ our Lord, as the Apostle says, 
“And He is the Head of the body, the Church.” 
(Coloss. I. 18.) 

65. The comrnunion of saints is a most consoling 
doctrine, for it assures us of the great prerogative of 
having friends at the throne of God, the saints who 
pray for us and obtain for us the spiritual blessings and 
graces of which we stand in need for time and eternity. 
It is most consoling for the souls in Purgatory; be¬ 
cause, being in communion with them, we are en¬ 
abled to come to their aid in their great affliction by 
the means at our command. As the souls in Purgatory 
can only suffer and expiate, but not acquire merit, the 
Church militant takes their place in the work of atone¬ 
ment, offers up suffrages to the merciful and just Judge, 
and implores Him to accept them in expiation of their 
delinquencies. The justice of God demands the paj^- 
ment of the debt incurred by sin, but His mercy is 
appeased by vicarious atonement, and is moved by the 
intercession of the living to act with great lenity 
towards the Suffering Souls. The reason of this is to be 
found in the communion of saints. Charitjq particularly 
supernatural charity, unites so as to make one of many. 
As a consequence what is performed by one is accepted 
by God as the work of the other. Had those souls, 
during their mortal life, been more fervent in prayer, 
in self-denial by fasting, laboring and suffering, they 
would have entered heaven .immediatel}^ after death; 
now others do in their place what they neglected, thus 


On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 77 

giving seciirit}^ for them. But as he that gives security 
assumes the debt, the indebtedness of the Suffering 
Souls is cancelled by the suffrages of their friends. 

66. The Church triumphant can not atone in the 
proper sense, for the saints in heaven no longer per¬ 
form the works of expiation that are necessary for the 
relief and release of the Suffering Souls. Atonement, 
in its proper sense, is the reparation of an offence by 
some work of penance. By atonement the sinner not 
only repents of his sins, but seeks to reconcile divine 
justice by penitential works. The Suffering Souls 
were called to depart from this world before they 
had propitiated divine justice by atonement; and now 
their living friends, who alone can perform volun¬ 
tary meritorious acts, can make the necessary repara¬ 
tion in their place by penitential works. These latter 
can not be performed in heaven, which is the abode of 
eternal bliss. 

The relief and aid rendered to the Suffering Souls 
by the Church triumphant is in the form of prayer 
and intercession. The saints in heaven have recourse 
to the clemency and mercy of God; they ask His par¬ 
don and the remission of punishment for the Suffering 
Souls simply as a gift, offering in return only the 
merits of Jesus Christ and of the Church militant. 
Though many theologians assert that prayer as such, 
irrespective of its atoning power, has of itself the 
effect of obtaining of God the remission of temporal 
punishment, the learned Suarez and the greater num¬ 
ber of theologians call the other opinion more prob¬ 
able, which teaches that God glorifies not only His 
mercy but also His justice, and that He therefore does 
not remit temporal punishment in answer to prayer 


Chapter III. 


78 

alone; for in this case the saints in heaven might, by 
their prayers for the Suffering Souls, release all souls 
from Purgatory in a short time. And do not the 
merits of Christ Himself constitute the entire treasure 
of Heaven ? Does He not surpass all saints of heaven 
in love and mercy? But whether He bestows His 
merits on the Suffering Souls by His own free will, or 
is moved to do so by the pra^^ers of the saints—this is 
a question which appears difficult to decide. For ac¬ 
cording to the arrangement instituted by Christ, the 
ministers of His Church on earth are appointed to 
draw on the treasure of the merits of Christ and His 
saints after certain good works have been performed 
by the living. According to this arrangement it can 
be assumed that Christ will not transfer anything 
from this treasury without some reciprocation on the 
part of the faithful on earth. The saints in heaven 
implore nothing that is contrary to the arrangement 
made by Christ. The prayers of the saints in heaven 
are directed to the end that God may enlighten and 
impel the faithful on earth to make reparation for the 
souls in Purgatory, and that He may accept these acts 
of atonement performed by the living. Prayer by it¬ 
self, and atonement by expiatory works, or both hap¬ 
pily united, constitute the suffrages for the souls in 
Purgatory. 

67. The Church militant has this advantage over 
the Church triumphant, that by her prayer, atonement 
and suffragatory expiation she can assist the Suffering 
Souls in cancelling so much of their debt as is yet 
due. The living who desire to help the Suffering 
Souls can assume debt for debt, cancelling by fasting 
their neglect of it, by tears their want of sorrow, etc.— 


On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 


79 


SO much for so much—thus giving them relief in their 
torments. The means, then, of helping them are as 
numerous as the meaus of obtaining grace for our¬ 
selves ; for we can apply our merits by way of suffrage 
to the Suffering Souls. 

The holy Fathers divide the means of helping the 
Suffering Souls into three kinds, viz. the Holy Sacri¬ 
fice of the Mass, prayer and works of expiation, for 
instance alms-deeds, fasting, pilgrimages and the like. 
It is an incontrovertible dogma of faith always be¬ 
lieved in the Catholic Church, and founded on in¬ 
disputable evidence, that the faithful are able to aid 
the souls in Purgatory. Hence St. Augustine ob¬ 
serves : “While others weep and mourn at the death 
of their relatives, be thou intent on coming to the 
relief of the departed soul by sacrifice, prayer and 
alms.” Prayer for the dead was regarded at all times 
as founded in divine revelation, as a tradition of faith. 
The holy Fathers sometimes represent to us how the 
angels gather the Most Precious Blood of our Ford 
into golden vessels, and* pour its refreshing dew on 
the souls in Purgator3^ who are cleansed by its puri¬ 
fying application, and enter the abode of eternal bliss. 
They describe the consolation which we are able to 
impart to these souls during their captivity by having 
recourse to the treasury of the Most Precious Blood 
for their release, which we do by making a diligent 
use of the means placed at our disposal. 

§ 18. Catholic Burial. - • 

68 . Generally speaking, the first effect of a be¬ 
loved person’s death is weeping and lamenting by the 
relatives. Then follow the preparations for burial. 


so 


Chapter III, 


the ordering of mourning apparel, a pompous funeral, 
and visits of condolence, which latter are in most 
cases a mere courtesy made for the sake of appear¬ 
ances. The corpse is clothed in expensive robes, 
'placed in a rich casket, covered with costly flowers 
and buried under a splendid monument. In truth, 
the whole performance is very often nothing but a 
pagan spectacle arranged with a view of resulting 
in honor and praise for the surviving relatives, while 
not the least is done to hasten the release of the soul 
from the torments of Purgatory. The Suffering Souls 
do not receive the least benefit or consolation from a 
showy funeral. On the contrary, they are grieved at 
witnessing how satan is served and ambition flattered 
thereby. At baptism, to the question: “Dost thou 
renounce satan?” answer was made in the name of 
the soul, “I do renounce him.”—“And all his pomps?” 
—“I do renouilce them.” And we imagine to do 
honor to a soul that departed this world fortified by 
the holy sacraments, that was intent during life on 
laying aside everything ungodly and un-Christian, by 
bestowing more attention on the mortal remains than 
on the immortal soul, by following instead of re¬ 
nouncing Satan’s works and pomps, rather than seek¬ 
ing God and His divine pleasure ! The soul protests : 
“I renounce all satanic pomps,” and nevertheless its 
lifeless body is surrounded with the impious splendor 
of the adversary of God; silken shrouds, costly cask¬ 
ets, expensive floral decorations seem indispensable ; 
the funeral cortege must be of the grandest order 
to render tribute not so much to the memory of the de¬ 
ceased as to the vanity of the surviving family. Even 
the house of God is trespassed on by these vain de- 


On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 


81 


monstrations, the minister of God even is expected to 
make himself subservient to them by lauding the vir¬ 
tues of the deceased in an affecting funeral address— 
and all this while the poor departed soul is languish¬ 
ing for assistance. Could the deceased speak, he 
would proclaim loudly from out of his coffin: “I 
renounced all this; how can you thus dishonor me?” 
Not satisfied with paying tribute to satan by the fu¬ 
neral cortege and appurtenances, and by a show of 
• excessive grief and lamenting, the world also must 
I have its share of folly: a costly monument must an¬ 
nounce to every passer-by what a rich harvest satan 
reaped in the vanity displayed over the remains of 
the deceased.-^‘‘To what purpose is this display at 
funerals?” asks St. Jerome; “must vanity take the 
! first place even amid tears and mournings?”—There 
i can be no greater dishonor shown to the memory of a 
i great man, than to arrange mourning celebrations 

I that are in contrast with all his life and principles. 

1 Thus it would be an effront to Washington, the 
Father of our Country, were anarchists to celebrate 
his memory.—What greater ignominy could be heaped 
on the blessed memory of the saintly Pius IX., than 
to raise for him an anti-Christian monument?—But 
this is the spirit animating the actions of those that 
give the first place to worldly pomp at the funerals of 
their relatives. The deceased renounced satan, all 
his works and all his pomps, and they exhibit in a 
most unwarrantable manner all his tokens at the fu¬ 
neral ! Worldly pomp is in its right place at the 
funeral of an enemy of God, but not at the burial of a 
follower of Christ, “whose kingdom is not of this 
world.” 

1* 







82 


Chapter III. 


69. As severely as the holy Fathers condemn the 
practice of pompous funerals, as earnestly do they ex¬ 
hort us to aid in having burials performed according 
to the rites of the Church, in a manner befitting the 
character of the deceased ; for to bury the dead is a 
spiritual work of mercy. The departed soul is the 
chief gainer at an ecclesiastical burial. The cere¬ 
monies of the Church, the bearing of the cross, the 
ministers in their sacred vestments, the blessings, 
incense, holy water, blessed candles, ringing of the 
bells, the consecrated burial ground—all is replete 
with sweet and abundant consolation for the departed 
soul ; for all is done to its former abode, the body, now 
loved by it more truly than in life as the master-piece 
of the Creator’s hand, the sacred temple of the Holy 
Ghost, the future companion of its glory in eternal bliss. 

70. After death there is question not only of con¬ 
solation for the soul, but also of abbreviation of its 
punishment. The Church prays, and every prayer of 
faith, even that of individuals, has expiatory power. 
Practised in the spirit of the Church, prayer hastens 
the expiation and atonement of the deceased. More¬ 
over, some of the Church’s means of suffrage have the 
character of a sacramental, for instance holy water, con¬ 
secrated ground, etc. We have seen that a pompous 
worldly funeral is painful to the soul of the deceased. 
On the other hand, its joy is great at being treated by 
the Church as a child of God, and at obtaining mitiga¬ 
tion of its sufferings in Purgatory by her mediation. 
Over the grave the cross, the plain cross, is to be raised, 
victoriously proclaiming to the world that here rest the 
mortal remains of a soldier of Christ.—We never wit¬ 
nessed a more consoling, a more affecting sight than 


On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls, 


83 


that of a Catholic cemeter}" on Long Island, New York, 
where a plain cross over every grave proclaims to the 
world that there a truly Christian spirit has triumphed 
over the enemy of God, over his pomps and works. 
There external splendor does not distract the visitor 
when he breathes the short but fervent prayer, “Eter¬ 
nal rest grant to them, O Lord !’’—We know of con- 
gregations that have honored their deceased pastors by 
the erection of costly monuments—but is the Holy 
Sacrifice of the Mass celebrated for the repose of their 
souls ? At present, perhaps, the members of the con¬ 
gregation pray for their deceased pastor; but in the 
course of years the present generation will pass away, 
and he is forgotten. Had monthly or annual Masses 
been founded for the benefit of his soul, his memory 
would have lived in the congregation ; it would remain 
united with him in a charity not bounded by the limits 
of mortal life. 

71. Do you then wish, Christian soul, to confer a 
real benefit on the souls of the departed? Do you de¬ 
sire to demonstrate your love and kindness for them ? 

• 

—Pray for them !—St. Chrysostom observes : “Do you 
wish to honor the dead ? Give alms for them ! For what 
will weeping alone avail ? What good can a pompous 
funeral and vain display achieve ? Rather be intent 
with all your might to assist the departed soul by alms- 
deeds, prayer and Holy Masses. Let mourners weep 
and show their grief; let them find consolation in tears : 
but let them not forget to come, with still greater zeal, 
to the aid of the departed by the Holy Sacrifice, by 
prayer and alms-deeds.” St. Augustine, though ex¬ 
horting earnestly not to neglect the decent burial of 
and appropriate monuments for the dead, nevertheless 








84 


Chapter III. 


declares, "Pompous funerals and costly tombs may 
console the living, but do not assist the dead.” He 
reproves too great display on such occasions and 
reihinds Christians to act according to their profession, 
and not to imitate the heathens, but rather to pray for 
the relief of the souls in Purgatory. Touchingly de¬ 
scribing the last moments of his sainted mother 
Monica, he writes ; "When the day of her dissolution 
was at hand, she had no thought for the sumptuous 
covering of her body, or the embalming of it, nor had 
she any desire for a fine monument, nor was she solicit- ' 
ous about her sepulture in her own country. None 
of these things did she recommend to us, but only 
desired that we should make a remembrance of her 
at the altar of God, at which she had attended the 
sacrifice without one day’s intermission, whence she 
knew was dispensed that Holy Victim by which was 
cancelled the handwriting that was against us. (Colos. 
II.) Let her therefore rest in peace, together with her 
husband whom she dutifully served in much patience, 
that she might gain him for the Lord. And do Thou, 

O Lord God, inspire Th}^ servants, my brethren ; do 
Thou, O my Master, whom I serve with my voice, my 
heart and my writings, incite Thy children : that those 
who will read this may remember at Thy altar Thy 
handmaid Monica, and Patricius, formerly her hus¬ 
band. These were my parents in this transitory life. 
May they be remembered with pious affection, so that, 
what my mother asked of me as her last request, may 
be more plentifully performed for her through these 
my confessions and pra3^ers.” {Co 7 ifess. Book ix.) 

Let every Christian assist at funerals with similar 
dispositions. Let him enwreathe the departed with the 





On the Means of Relieving thf^. Suffering Souls. 


85 


immortelles of good works and with a garland of the 
roses of prayer, more beautiful in the sight of God 
than any floral decorations that can be offered. If an 
address is to be made, let him not dictate what is to be 
said, but leave this to the pastor, who will avoid vain 
praise of the deceased, and rather remind his hearers 
of the duties, obligations and hopes of a Catholic, con- 
soling them by the promise of resurrection in Christ, 
who is our leader and light in life, our consolation in 
affliction, our hope in death, in whom alone true 
happiness is to be found. Thus will the departed 
soul receive consolation and relief by the prayers of 
the attendants, and by the Holy Sacrifice and cere¬ 
monies of the Church. 


§ 19. Prayer. 

72. The two most efficient means of obtaining the 
grace of God for ourselves and others, and thereby 
gaining heaven, are the sacraments and prayer. We 
treat of the latter here, and reserve an explanation of 
the efficacy of the former for the relief of the souls in 
Purgatory for a later paragraph. 

As a means for our salvation prayer is most import¬ 
ant. Our good or bad life depends chiefly on our 
good or bad prayer; hence on it depends also whether 
heaven or hell shall be ours, and whether we assist 
others, especially the souls in Purgatory, in gaining 
heaven. We are bound to pray not only now and then, 
but every day. Exhorting us to prayer, St. Paul says, 
“Pray without ceasing.” (I Thess. v. 17.) And St. 
Augustine remarks, ‘‘Who knows how to pray well, 
knows how to live well.” 



Chapter III. 


8() 


73. Pra^^er is the elevation of the heart to God, 
either to praise Him, or to thank Him, or to ask a 
favor.of Him ; hence its division into prayer of praise, 
thanksgiving and petition. When we raise our 
thoughts, our mind to God, we soar up to heaven, the 
habitation of God’s glory, leaving behind us the sordid 
cares of this world. Thinking thus of God—is this 
prayer? No ! For prayer is an elevation of the heart 
to God; but we have not elevated our heart to Him, 
but only our intellect. It is in our heart that we ex¬ 
perience jo}^ sorrow, trouble, desire, etc., hence we say, 
our heart is cheerful, or sorrowful. Now, if we think 
of God, and feel our heart replete with joy at His great¬ 
ness, His goodness, at His being our Father, if we feel 
sorry for having offended Him, if we ardently implore 
Him to grant us a particular grace, etc.—in a word, if in 
thinking of God, we employ not only our intellect, as we 
do when solving a problem, but elicit in our heart, mind 
and will affections and aspirations of love, joy, sorrow, 
desire, etc. because of His perfections, then we raise 
our heart to God, in other words, we pray. And if, 
whilst we thus raise our hearts to Him in holy love, 
joy, contrition, etc., we express these sentiments in 
words, or at least elicit them mentally, then we con¬ 
verse with God, we pray. Hence praj^er is also called 
a conversation with God. In prayer to the saints we 
raise our hearts to God at least indirectly, for we con¬ 
verse with God through them. 

Hence, when we contemplate the glorious setting 
of the sun in a halo of gold and fire on a beautiful 
summer’s eve ; when we listen to the joyful strains of 
the feathered songsters in the air ; when we feast our 


On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 87 

eyes on the abundant harvest of the fields, and grate¬ 
fully remember the greatness and bounty of God, 
who made all this, and then say, “O God, how great, 
how beautiful Thou art! Oh, that I might truly love 
Thee !”—then we raise our hearts to God to praise 
Him ; our prayer is one of praise. When, on behold¬ 
ing a poor crippled beggar, we think of the goodness 
of God, whose fatherly care has preserved us from mis¬ 
fortune, and say, “Good Father in heaven, I thank 
Thee for the benefits Thou hast conferred on me !”— 
then we say a prayer of thanksgiving. And when we 
are in distress, so that we know not where in the world 
to turn for relief and help, and then, remembering that 
God knows our needs and can aid us, turn to Him, and 
say, “My dear Father in heaven, help me in my dis¬ 
tress!”—then our prayer was a prayer of petition. 
Hence, when praying we raise our hearts to God either 
to praise Him, to thank Him, or to ask Him for favors. 

Our Divine Ford, exhorting us to prayer, makes 
use of language conveying a two-fold incitement, by 
which every Christian must feel moved and inspired to 
pray. He says, “Ask, and you shall receive !” (John 
XVI. 24.)—“Ask !” This word includes a command of 
the Ford, imposing on us prayer as an obligation to be 
fulfilled by all. And Jesus has the right to give us 
such a command; He prayed continually Himself, and 
knows the great efficacy of prayer. Therefore He calls 
our attention to the blessing and fruits of prayer, and 
joining with the command a promise as incentive. He 
says, “Ask, and you shall receive, that your joy may 
be full.” (John xvi. 24.) He commands us to ask, be¬ 
cause He is our Savior, who wishes us to be saved; 




88 


Chapter III. 


and because He knows that only in answer to our ask¬ 
ing—to prayer —shall we attain happiness and salvation 
—shall our “joy be full.” 

74. We have remarked before that it seems proba¬ 
ble that God does not remit our punishment in answer 
to prayer alone, but that we must perform some work 
of satisfaction. If this be so, the same law applies to 
the remission of punishment which we are desirous of 
obtaining for others.—Contemplating victims of the 
plague, of leprosy, of famine, etc., our heart is filled 
with compassion for these unfortunates, and calls on 
God for relief and help. And remembering the tor¬ 
ments of the souls in Purgatory, which by far exceed 
all sufferings in this world, we are impelled to raise up 
our eyes to heaven imploring the release of our loved 
ones. Both sinners and the just are informed of these 
torments by faith; they fall on their knees and call for 
mercy to God, from whom alone comes relief and re¬ 
demption. Rut this prayer for the faithful departed, 
besides being trustful of God’s fidelity and mercy, must 
be meritorious, if it is to accomplish its purpose in every 
case and beyond doubt. For Jesus says, “If 3"ou ask 
the Father anything in my name. He will give it you.” 
( John XVI. 23.) Asking in the name of Jesus is ask¬ 
ing that His superabundant merits may be joined to 
our prayer, and if this is done, nothing is impossible to 
our prayer, for nothing is impossible to God’s omnipo¬ 
tence. “If you ask the Father anything in my name. 
He will give it you:” this promise of Jesus is our 
surety of being heard; for taken in the abstract, God 
IS not bound to hear our prayer. 

To obtain the hearing of our prayers, certain con¬ 
ditions must be observed on our part: 



On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 89 

a) The person praying must be a member of the 
Church militant; for with death the state of merit 
ceases; there is no increase of merit in the next 
world—neither in Purgatory, nor in heaven or hell. 

b) The person praying must be in the state of 
grace. It is only in the state of grace that we possess 
supernatural life; without it our works are dead in 
the sight of God, and inoperative for heaven. 

c) Our prayer must be voluntary, proceeding from 
our own free will. What is done by coercion, against 
our will, has no merit. 

d) To be meritorious, our prayer must be ad¬ 
dressed to God from a supernatural motive, for His 
greater glory. 

BecaUvSe the saints in heaven can no longer add to 
their merits, but can only intercede, their prayer, as 
was remarked before, has the effect of moving God to 
hear and receive more graciously the prayers of the 
living. A certain effective power may also be at¬ 
tached to the prayer of sinners, for God not unfre- 
quently hears them when they ask something agree¬ 
able to Him. In this case He hears the prayer solely 
on account of His mercy, not on account of the peti¬ 
tioner’s merit. A sinner acting in the name of the 
Church, or obeying the injunctions of a person de¬ 
parted in the grace of God, adds an additional value to 
the intercessions, but these latter have a value corre¬ 
sponding to the merit of the person that gave the 
commission. The latter is the principal, the former 
only his agent. 

75. Hence the prayer of the just in this world 
is one of the effective means of assisting the Suffering 
Souls in Purgatory. It receives its efficacy, like fast- 



Chapter III. 


!»() 

ing and alms-deeds, from the qualification and ministry 
of the person engaged therein. Prayer partakes of the 
state of the person praying. Fervent and submissive 
prayer penetrates the clouds, and moves the Heart of 
God to mercy. Therefore St. Augustine calls prayer 
the “key of heaven,” which opens the closed gates 
of that sublime abode—especially to the souls in Pur¬ 
gatory. 

God is well pleased with prayer for the Suffer¬ 
ing Souls, and therefore we may rest assured that 
it will attain its object. If God hears our prayer when 
we ask for transitory things, how much the more so 
will He hear it when we pray for the deliverance 
of the Suffering Souls, whom He ardently loves and 
who are destined for and sure of enjoying wdth Him 
His bliss for all eternity. Hence St. Bernard touch¬ 
ingly remarks: “I will invoke the Lord with mournful 
lamentations, I will beseech Him with continual sigh¬ 
ing. I will remember the departed in my pra3^ers, 
hoping that the Lord will cast a pitying glance on 
them, and will change their torments into rest, their 
distress into ineffable glory. By such means their 
time of punishment can be shortened, their pains and 
torments mitigated.” No less aptly does Thomas a 
Kempis observe: “Therefore let us pray for our dear 
ones, whom we shall follow in a short time, that 
hereafter the}^ may remember us in our distress and 
sufferings; but let us always pray with fervent devo¬ 
tion and attention.” 

76. A most appropriate prayer for the faithful de¬ 
parted is the Rosary. The Blessed Virgin herself 
assures us through St. Dominic, that “the release of 
the Souls in Purgatory is one of the chief effects of 


On the Afeans of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 91 

the Rosary.” By this sacred prayer we continue to 
renew our invocation of Mary’s benevolent Heart; 
we implore the Queen of the Holy Rosary and of all 
Saints to deliver the Holy Souls from Purgatory, or 
to vouchsafe them consolation in their torments. We 
do this on the assurance of our Lord Himself, who 
says: “Ask, and you shall receive.” 

Blessed Alanus relates that many Brothers and 
Sisters testified under oath to having had appa¬ 
ritions of souls from Purgatory during the prayer of 
the Rosary. They appeared to them wearing the sign 
of the cross on their foreheads, thanked them for their 
prayers, and asked them to persevere in it; for except 
Holy Mass and indulgences there is, they said, no 
means so powerful to release souls from Purgatory as 
the Rosary, and a great number of souls were de¬ 
livered by it every day.—Mary is the Queen of all 
Saints : of those in heaven, on earth, and in Purga¬ 
tory. The Holy Souls suffer without being in condi¬ 
tion to help themselves; therefore they are befriended 
in a special manner by the sorrowful Heart of Mary, 
the refuge of all her afflicted children. 

77. A short but fervent prayer is sometimes of 
greater benefit to the Suffering Souls than a prolonged 
form of devotion which is wanting in attention. St. 
Jerome observes: “I prefer one psalm recited with 
devotion to the whole psalter said with distraction.” 
Blessed Thomas Morus closed his daily evening prayer, 
which he said in common with his family, with a short 
prayer, viz. the psalm De profujidis, for the souls in 
Purgatory. This is the Psalm selected by the Church 
as her prayer for the faithful departed; persons that 
do not know or cannot read it say in its place one Our 


m 


Chapter III. 


Father after the Ange/us, and say it also in the even¬ 
ing before retiring. A still shorter prayer of the 
Church is: “Eternal rest grant, O Lord, to the souls 
of all the faithful departed. Eternal light shine upon 
them; may they rest in peace. Amen.” If we must 
content ourselves with a short prayer, let us select 
these, or some other indulgenced aspiration, to relieve 
the Suffering Souls. 

A saintly bishop once dreamed he saw a boy draw 
a woman resplendent with light out of a deep w^ell. 
Next morning he was surprised to see the same boy 
kneeling at a grave in the churchyard. He asked him 
what he was doing, and the boy replied: “I am saying 
an 0 ?ir Father and the psalm Miserere for the soul of 
my poor mother.” By this the holy man was con¬ 
vinced that this good child had released his mother 
from Purgatory ; and concluded thence that prayer 
for the dead must be highly efficacious. 

78. How graciously and quickly God hears our 
prayer for the departed is demonstrated also by the 
following revelations. In a vision St. Mechtildis 
once saw many souls ascending out of the depths of 
Purgatory and entering a beautiful garden next to 
heaven.—The Venerable Dominic of Jesus-Mary saw 
some souls go to heaven while prayers for the dead 
were said in choir.—The Venerable Lindmayer counted 
four hundred souls that entered heaven through her 
intercession between January and March, 1691.—The 
Venerable Catherine Emmerich, whose suffrages for 
the deceased were extraordinary, released a great 
number of souls from Purgatory by her prayers. An 
angel sometimes folded her hands, thus reminding her 
to pray for them, and when she let them sink from 


j On the Means of Relieving the Su ffering Souls. 9)^ 

fatigue, he held them up, saying : “You must continue 
I to pray.”—Would that this consideration might in¬ 
duce the reader to redouble his fervor in prayer for 
the Suffering Souls! Not an angel, but our Savior 
Himself appears to us, sweating blood in His agony in 
the Garden, and exhorting us to fold our hands in 
i prayer, saying: “Watch ye, and pray!” When, at the 
crucifixion of Jesus, all the elements conspired to 
wreak vengeance on a sinful world, when the earth 
: trembled, the rocks split, the graves opened, the sun 

was obscured — our Savior raised His eyes to heaven 
and showed by His example how to invoke the mercy 
of God for the distress of others. “And Jesus said : 
Father, forgive them!” (Luke xviii. 34.) By this 
prayer He reconciled His Heavenly Father, saved 
the world from utter destruction, triumphed over 
death, and opened the gates of heaven. Oh, how 
effective, how powerful was the prayer of the dying 
Savior! — How happy are we, how happy the Suffering 
Souls, if we unite our pra3xrs with His pra^xr, and 
with His merits, thereby to open the gates of heaven 
to them ! United with the prayers and merits of the 
Crucified, remarks St. Chrysostom, our prayer is al¬ 
mighty, it obtains everything for which we pray, 
especially if the Suffering, but nevertheless Holy 
Souls in Purgatory are the object of our intercession. 

’ Hence St. Augustine observes that there is no oc¬ 
cupation more wholesome and meritorious than pray¬ 
ing for the dead. 







/ 


1)4 


Chapter III. 


§ 20. Official Prayer of the Church for the 
Suffering Souls. 

79. The official prayer of the Church has an essen¬ 
tial and particular efficacy of its own. It is more power¬ 
ful to obtain graces and benefits from God than the 
prayer offered privately by individual persons, how¬ 
ever pious and holy they may be. Whom will a king 
hear more graciously, the spouse of his beloved only 
son, or a stranger? The Catholic Church is the 
Spouse of Jesus Christ; she serves God truly and 
faithfully, and God dearly loves her. Therefore He 
graciously hears her prayer, hears it more graci¬ 
ously than the prayer of individuals, however pious 
they may be; for no private individual possesses 
such dignity, and is so beloved by God, as His Church. 
Moreover, .suppose the king were inclined to refuse 
a petition : would he do so, except for the most surgent 
reasons, if his beloved only son and his whole court, 
his best and most trusted friends, supported it? Now 
the prayer of the Church is ever united with the 
prayer of Jesus Christ and His saints ; in other words, 
when the Church prays, our Divine Savior prays 
with her. He supports her prayer, and all the saints 
join in it, beseeching God to hear it. Therefore, if the 
petitions presented by the Church are conformable to 
the designs of God’s Providence, which is undoubt¬ 
edly the case when she makes intercession for the 
Suffering Souls, God willingly grants what she asks for. 

80. This being so, in what veneration should we 
not hold, with what eagerness should we not be-speak 
the prayer of the Church for the Suffering Souls ? If 
we were ill, or otherwise in distress, and some saintly 




On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 


95 


man would promise to pray for us, would we not be 
greatly consoled ? Would we not be inspired with 
renewed confidence in God’s help? And if a holy man, 
whose prayer in some instances was rewarded by mir¬ 
acles, were to give us his blessing and Say a prayer 
over us—how grateful and confident we would be! No 
obstacle would prevent us from seeking his presence 
and his blessing. But is the blessing and prayer of the 
Catholic Church not more powerful and effective than 
the prayer and blessing of the most saintly individual ? 
And we are made partakers of this blessing and pra5^er 
when we employ, in a devout and trustful frame of 
mind, the means of grace offered to us by the Church. 
We must remember well that the obtaining of graces 
and benefits depends in a great measure on the good 
and devout disposition in which we employ these 
means. Hence when we have recourse to the prayers 
of the Church, let us do so in holy veneration and in 
the full confidence of receiving from God, for the sake 
of the prayers of the Church, whatever she desires for 
us, especially the relief and ransom of the souls in 
Purgatory, these holy spouses of Jesus Christ. 

8 i. The Catholic Church is the great institution 
for pur salvation, founded by Christ for the whole 
world and for all times. As such she has the sublime 
mission and task of continuing throughout the centu¬ 
ries Christ’s work for the redemption of mankind, and 
to accomplish it by the conversion and salvation of all 
nations. It is the will of God that all men should re¬ 
ceive heavenly light and life thfough the Church by 
being led by her to the knowledge of truth and to life 
everlasting. For this end our Lord dwells in and re¬ 
mains with the Church, living and operating in her 


Chapter III. 


i)6 

“all days unto the consummation of the world.” 
Therefore when God graciously hears our prayer, or 
the prayer of the Church, He hears it not for our sake, 
but for the sake of Jesus Christ, who is our Mediator 
and Intercessor,and who has merited for us by His life, 
passion and death the hearing of our prayer. Except 
for the merits of Jesus Christ our prayer would be in 
vain, it would not be heard. For this very reason the 
Church closes ali her prayers with the words, “Through 
Christ, our Lord,” thereby proclaiming the important 
truth that to Jesus Christ alone we owe the hearing of 
our prayer and our salvation in general. 

82. The maternal solicitude of the Church for the 
speedy release of the souls in Purgatory is demon¬ 
strated by her ancient practices. There is not a mo¬ 
ment of the day when she does' not accompany her 
Divine Spouse to the portals of Purgator}^ by inter¬ 
ceding for these souls in Holy Mass. At the offertory 
of every Mass she prays : “Accept, O holy Father, 
Almighty and Eternal God, this unspotted host, which 
I, Thy unworthy servant, offer unto Thee, my living 
and true God, for my innumerable sins, offences and 
negligences, and for all here present; as also for all 
faithful Christians, both living and dead, that it may 
avail both me and them unto life everlasting. Amen.” 
After consecration a special commemoration is made 
of the dead : “Be mindful, O Lord, of Thy servants N. 
and N., who are gone before us with the sign of faith, 
and rest in the sleep of peace.” (Here particular 
mention is made of such souls as the priest intends to 
pray for; after which he continues): “To these, O 
Lord, and to all that sleep in Christ, grant, we beseech 
Thee, a place of refreshment, light and peace.” No 


On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 


97 


Mass therefore is celebrated without a commemoration 
of the dead in general or in particular. The solicitude 
of the Church for the release of the Suffering Souls is 
proved also by the rubrics, which on certain days permit 
the celebration of the Mass of Requiem in black vest¬ 
ments. Such days are for instance the Monday of 
each week, and the first day of each month, when no 
feast occurs. The Church selects the first days because 
charity urges her to come to the aid of the Suffering 
Souls as soon as possible. To further show her solici¬ 
tude for them, she ordains a special formula of the 
Mass for the third, seventh and thirtieth day, and for 
the anniversary of a death. The general anniversary 
of all the faithful departed is celebrated on All Soul’s 
Day, when as far as possible all the Masses are said in 
black vestments. On this day the universal Church 
makes a strenuous effort to secure the release of the 
Suffering Souls. 

With the Mass of Requiem is joined, at funerals or 
at the cenotaph, the ecclesiastical absolution. The 
Church returns in spirit {o the death-bed of the de¬ 
ceased, where the judgment struck terror into his 
soul. She invokes God’s mercy and implores Him to 
grant eternal rest to the departed soul and to receive 
it into paradise in the company of the angels. Then 
the cof&n or cenotaph is sprinkled with holy water 
and incensed, the Church meanwhile reciting the 
Cord’s Prayer and imploring God to refresh the soul 
with the dew of heaven and with celestial odors. 

83. Besides the Holy Sacrifice and the absolution, 

the Church has ordained also the recitation of a special 

Office of the Dead. This is handed down to us from 

the earliest ages of Christianity, and gives evidence of 

8 * 


08 


Chapter III. 


the ardent charity and devotion with which the Church 
implores mercy at the throne of God and intercedes 
for her suffering children. The phraseology expresses 
the sentiments of the Suffering Souls, who as it were 
pray with and through the person reciting it. Every¬ 
thing referring to the latter is omitted, and the whole 
is concluded by intercessions, for instance, “Eternal 
rest grant to them, O Lord ! Ma}" they rest in peace !“ 
etc. In the Vespers we join in the yearnings of a soul 
assured of salvation, but beholding its felicity as yet 
in the far distance ; knowing itself destined -for the 
vision of God, but separated from Him till its stains 
are removed; knowing for certain that, once having 
entered the abode of bli.ss, it will join all the angels 
and saints in the praises of God’s mercy. The ver- 
sicles and responses are invocations replete with con¬ 
solation, declaring these souls happy despite their 
torments, because their salvation is assured. The 
canticle and antiphon express the joyous confidence 
that the souls departed in the faith of Christ, but 
still in need of purification, will soon be admitted to 
the beatific vision of God. Already the Church hears 
them in the joyous strains of the Mag'>iijicat, and then 
falling on her knees she breathes forth the Preces, a 
series of invocations, which she closes with the Lord’s 
Prayer. Then follows the 145th psalm, to evince her 
confidence of being heard.—Oh, how consoling to be 
permitted to call upon the Lord! He shows His 
mercy for the Suffering Souls, and admits them to the 
habitations of the eternal Sion. 

84. In his book on the Suffering Souls, Acker- 
mann relates the following : A nobleman once gave a 
considerable sum of money to the Superior of a Car- 


On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 09 

thusian monastery to have prayers said for his de¬ 
ceased father. When the assembled choir sang noth¬ 
ing but the words Requiescat hi pace !—“May he rest 
in peace,”—he expressed his dissatisfaction at receiv¬ 
ing so short a prayer in return for his money. The 
saintly Superior told the brethren to write those words 
on slips of paper, and putting the slips on one side of 
the scales, requested the nobleman to put the money 
on the other side. This being done, the nobleman 
was astonished to see the money rising high, whilst 
the slips of paper went down in the scales. By this 
miraculous occurence he was filled with confusion, 
and at the same time with consolation.—Mention of 
this occurence is also made in the Conferences of Pope 
Benedict XIII. 

Because the clerg>^ perform their ecclesiastical 
ministry in the name of the Church, it is evident that 
these prayers are not private ones of the priests, but 
the official supplication of the Church. As such they 
have a special intercessor}^ value, by which their effect 
is attained independently of the state of the priest’s 
conscience. Through the Sacred Heart of Jesus the 
Divine Spirit continually impels the Catholic Church 
to send up to heaven her powerful supplications for 
the souls in Purgatory. Contemplating the ineffable 
yearning of the Church for the release of the Suffering 
Souls, and the great efficacy of her prayer, will you 
not, Christian soul, follow the impulse of your heart, 
and do your part for their deliverance by joining as¬ 
siduously in these prayers ? If 3^011 would but unite 
with the congregation in the aspiration of the Church, 
“PAernal rest grant to them, O Lord!” etc.—this alone 
would be a great consolation for the faithful departed. 







100 


Chapter III. 


In order to enable our readers to follow and join 
the Church in her liturgical suffrages for the dead, we 
subjoin in the Appendix a faithful translation of some 
prayers, and only regret that it is impossible to convey 
in the vernacular the full import of these supplications 
so beautifully expressed in the official language of the 
Church. 

Let us, then, regard with profound veneration the 
prayer of the Church ; let us have great confidence in 
its efficacy and use its formulas with devotion. We 
shall thereby insure for ourselves the blessings of God 
for this life and eternal happiness in the life to come. 

§ 21. The Blessed Virgin Mary and the 
Suffering Souls. 

85. One of the most beautiful narratives of Holy 
Scripture is the touching story of Esther. Belonging 
to the banished Jewish people, this poor virgin, on ac¬ 
count of her beauty and virtue, was called to ascend the 
throne, and by so doing saved her people. In her we 
recognize an image of that other virgin, also descended " 
from the Jewish people, p'oor, but of noble lineage, and 
selected by God to become the mother of Him who 
redeemed sinful mankind. In virtue of this sublime 
motherhood Mary became the Queen of Heaven, the 
Mediatrix of mankind; and to her therefore the 
Church applies the words spoken by Joachim, the high- 
priest, to the victorious Judith, “Thou art the glory of 
Jerusalem; thou art the joy of Israel; thou art the 

honor of thy people.” (Judith, xv. 10) Mary, like 

* 

Esther, is the most fair amongst women, and to her are 
applied the words, “Thou art all fair, and there is not 
a spot in thee.” (Cant. iv. 7.) For this rea.son she 


o 


On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 101 

found favor in the eyes of the divine King, so that He 
divided His reign with her, retaining for Himself omni¬ 
potence, and turning over to her the dominion of 
mercy. Esther, when appearing before the king, was 
attended by two servants, one of whom supported her, 
whilst the other bore her train; in like manner the 
Blessed Virgin Mary is serv^ed by angels and men, 
whose Queen she is. Finally, as Esther became her 
people’s helper and intercessor, so Mary became ours. 
Hence we hasten to her in every distress, saying, “We 
fly to thy patronage, O holy Mother of God !... Despise 
not our prayer.’’ And whence is it that Mary is so 
sublimely elevated above all mankind, why do “all 
generations call her blessed ?’’ The angel Gabriel in 
his salutation tells us the reason : “Hail, full of grace!’’ 
he said to Mary. 

86. Mary was “full of grace’’ before her birth. 
Before and in our birth we are devoid of grace, we are 
in the state of original sin. Mary, however, possessed 
sanctifying grace in the first moment of her concep¬ 
tion, and poSvSessed it to such a degree that even the 
shadow of sin and of concupiscence was excluded from 
her soul. 

Again, Mary ever advanced in grace; that is, 
she increased in merit from day to day, and therefore 
became more and more filled with grace. We admire 
the various saints for their particular virtues, for in¬ 
stance St. Aloysius for his purity, St. Francis of Assisi 
for his seraphic ardor, etc. But what is the purity of 
St. Aloysius compared with that of Mary, the love of 
St. Francis compared with hers? It is the glimmer¬ 
ing of a star compared with the splendor of the mid¬ 
day sun. As the rainbow unites all the colors gleam- 



102 


Chapter III. 


ing in the individual rain-drops, thus Mary unites in 
herself alone all the virtues of the saints in a supreme 
degree. Hence she is called the Queen of martyrs, of 
virgins, of all .saints. Oh, what an ineffable wealth of 
grace she must have possessed at the end of her life! 
According to the general acceptation she lived over 
sixty years, and devoted her whole life to the pursuit 
of virtue : how greatly she must have surpassed in it 
all the saints ! 

There is another reason why Mary was full of 
grace: she brought forth the Author of all grace. The 
Source of all grace. He who merited it for us by His 
death, was her Sou. As He selected Mary for His 
mother and deigned to take human nature from her, it 
is obvious that he adorned her with more grace than 
all the angels and saints. Not for Mary’s sake alone, 
not in order to adorn her alone with grace did Jesus 
become man, but for the sake of fallen humanity. All 
the graces we receive, we receive through Christ, but 
Christ we received through Mary. She is the heavenly 
aurora which brought to us the Divine Sun, Jesus 
Christ. Hence it is the will of our Savior, that Mary 
should be our mediatrix. She was, as it were, the 
bridge over which Jesus passed in coming to us; 
hence she is also the bridge over which we come to 
Jesus in heaven. As she has brought us Christ, thus 
she is also by her intercession to bring His grace 
to our immortal soul. There is therefore no need for 
Mary in heaven first to merit deliverance for the souls 
in Purgatory ; she received this grace whilst on earth, 
together with her dignity of Mother of God. She is, 
in truth, the bridge by which the suffering yet happy 
spouses of her Divine Son cross from Purgatory to 
heaven. 


On the A/eans of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 103 

87. The clients of this Mother most element are 
indeed to be called happy, for she is Iheir consolation 
and help not only in this world, but also in Purgatory. 
Besides promising that she would preserve from hell 
those who devoutly wear her holy habit, the scapular 
of Mount Carmel, she added a second privilege, namely 
that of speedy release from Purgatory. This latter 
promise was made about seventy years after the intro¬ 
duction of the scapular. Mary deigned to appear to 
Pope John XII. and recommended to his care the 
Order of Carmelites. Extending her maternal solitude 
even to the next world, she promised to assist the 
souls of the members in Purgatory, to console them 
and to release them as soon as possible, particularly on 
the Saturday following their decease. The pope 
published this privilege in a Bull dated March 3, 1322. 
(Beringer, Indulgejices, page 711.) The meaning of 
this promise is that Mary gives those who wear the 
holy scapular and fulfil the conditions prescribed, as 
much assurance of their eternal salvation as can be ob¬ 
tained during mortal life, at the same time declaring 
that if they are constant in her service and lead a 
Christian life, they shall also receive the grace of final 
perseverance. Simon Stock, the General of the Car¬ 
melites, when giving this holy habit to his brethren, 
addressed them as follows: “Preserve deeply im¬ 
pressed on your minds the memory of this bounty, 
and be intent on receiving strength in your vocation 
by the exercise of good works. Never relax in doing 
good, watch and pray without ceasing, that the prom¬ 
ises of Heaven may be fulfilled, and may .show them¬ 
selves in their full splendor for the praise of the Most 
Holy Trinity, and for the honor of the Most Blessed 


104 


Chapter HI. 


Virgin Mary.”—The mere wearing of the scapular, 
then, does not make us partakers of the second 
privilege. The Blessed Virgin, appearing to the 
Venerable Dominic of Jesus-Mary, addressed him 
thus: “My son, though many wear my scapular, yet 
there are few that perform what is necessary to ac¬ 
quire the Sabbatine privilege.”—It was affirmed also 
by other supernatural revelations, that the}^ who wear 
the scapular are released from Purgatory on the first 
Saturday after their death only on condition that they 
have fulfilled all the duties imposed thereby.—A de¬ 
ceased Sister appeared to the Venerable Frances of the 
Blessed Sacrament and vSaid, “There are few who re¬ 
ceive the benefit of this privilege, because there are 
few who observe its conditions.” 

88 . Mary is solicitous for the Suffering Souls in 
Purgatory because she is the Mother of pure souls. 
St. Bernardine remarks, “ In this prison of the spouses 
of Christ she exercises, so to say, absolute sovereignty 
in mitigating their pains, and in delivering them from 
their sad imprisonment.” Mary demonstrated her 
charitable and tender heart even in this life. “And 
Mary rising up in those days, went unto the hill 
country with haste,” when she heard that Elizabeth 
in her age had been blessed with a son. She did this 
to express her affection and to offer her services. At 
the wedding-feast in Cana her tender heart caused her 
to anticipate the embarrassment of the host. Now the 
distress of'the souls in Purgatory is incomparably 
greater than that of either Elizabeth or of the married 
couple at Cana. Their torments are so great that all 
the sufferings of the sick, all the pains and torments 
of the martyrs since the beginning of the world added 


On the Means of Relieving the Su ffering Souls. 105 

together do not in the least compare with those of 
Purgatory, because the former are but trials, whilst 
the latter are punishments. The pains of the Poor 
Souls are similar to those inflicted by the surgeon or 
executioner. 

Hence Mary descends with truly maternal charity 
into Purgatory and eases its torments. St. Bonaven- 
ture applies to her the words, “ I have penetrated into 
the bottom of the deep” (Eccli. xxiv. 8.), and adds, in 
our Blessed Mother’s name, ” into the* abyss of Pur¬ 
gatory, there to mitigate the pains of the Suffering 
Souls.” St. Vincent Ferrer exclaims, “O how amiable 
and benevolent Mary shows herself to them that suffer 
in Purgatory; for through her they continually receive 
comfort and consolation.” By her mediation the poor 
captives are released from their fiery prison. St. Ber- 
nardine remarks, “To Mary was given the power, by 
her intercession and merits, to release the souls from 
Purgatory, particularly those that were foremost in 
their devotion to her.”—St. Bridget one night was ad¬ 
dressed by the Blessed Virgin as follows: “I am the 
Mother also of the souls in Purgatory. Their tor¬ 
ments are continually eased in some manner through 
my intercession. For it pleases the Lord to remit in 
this manner some of the punishments which are their 
due by justice.” 

89. St. Thomas and nearly all the holy Fathers 
teach that the Blessed Virgin Mary comes to the aid 
of the Suffering Souls. The Church also, in the Mas¬ 
ses of Requiem, prays that God may grant eternal bliss 
to the deceased through the intercession of the Blessed 
Virgin and all the saints. In the same manner she 
pra3^s towards the end of the Litany of all saints. 


10 () 


Chapter III. 


Why should our heavenly Mother feel less affection for 
her captive children than an earthly mother does for 
her offspring? Can we imagine that she will refuse 
her efficient consent for their deliverance from the fiery 
prison, when we remember that she gave her consent 
for the redemption of the world ? 

When Robert of Flanders was held captive by 
Stephen de Blois, the prisoner’s mother was filled with 
sorrow at the thought of the gloomy abode of her son ; 
and yearning to see him, she continually exclaimed, 
“ Once more let me see my son ! I must visit, I must 
see and console him.” And her prayer was granted.— 
Can we imagine that Jesus would refuse His Mother’s 
prayer? She is His Mother, and also the Mother of 
the Suffering Souls ; and therefore it gives Him the 
sweetest pleasure to release them, or at least to miti¬ 
gate the torments of those for whom she pleads. And 
she never ceases her intercession, for, says St. Figuori, 
“ the less the souls are able to help themselves, the 
more she increases her benevolence and solicitude for 
them.” 

Therefore the Queen of Heaven rejoices at being 
invoked for intercession in behalf of the Suffering 
Souls; and the more assiduously we pray to her for 
this purpose, the more efficiently will she co operate 
with us for their relief. The Venerable Boudon 
therefore teaches that we should not be content with 
invoking her intercession for the Suffering Souls, but 
that we should trustfully place all our good works and 
prayers at her disposal for their benefit. “For”, he 
remarks, “ no one can dispose of them more equitably, 
and moreover, we cannot give a stronger evidence of 
love for and confidence in her.” 


On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 


107 


^ 22. The Saints and the Suffering Souls. 

90. Mortal eye has never witnessed an apparition 
similar to that vouchsafed the apostle St. John, 
and wTiich he describes as follows : “And I saw, and be- 
held in the midst of the throne and of the four living- 
creatures, and in the midst of the ancients, a Lamb 
standing as it were slain, having seven horns and 
seven eyes : which are the seven Spirits of God, sent 
forth into all the earth And He came and took the 
book out of the right hand of Him that sat on the 
throne. And when He had opened the book, the four 
living creatures, and the four and twenty ancients fell 
down before the Lamb, having every one of them 
harps, and golden vials full of odors, which are the 
prayers of the saints ; and they sang a new' canticle, 
saying. Thou art worthy, O Lord, to take the book, 
and to open the seals thereof: because Thou wast 
slain, and hast redeemed us to God in Thy blood, out 
of every tongue, and people, and nation.” (Apoc. vi. 
6-9.) This is the sacred spectacle to which holy 
Church directs our eyes in order to excite us to holy 
desires of emulating the example of the saints, and 
thereby to imitate their charity tow-ards the Suffering 
Souls; for it is clearly demonstrated by their lives 
that there is no saint in heaven wdio neglected to come 
to the aid of the souls in Purgatory. The .saints did 
all in their power to atone for the faults of the faithful 
departed. They repaired their owm derelictions of 
duty, satisfied their obligations, loved their enemies, 
forgave injuries, w^ere patient in trials, sought volun¬ 
tary suffering, gave alms, were intent on gaining in- 


108 


Chapter III. 


diligences, offered up their own merits—all for the 
souls in Purgatory. With these meritorious w^orks 
they joined retirement from the world and its pleas¬ 
ures, made pious foundations, prayed unceasingly, 
received holy communion ; and above all, they were 
solicitous to have the Hol}^ Sacrifice of Mass offered 
up, or to assist at it for the repose of the Suffering 
Souls. Thus the saints w^ere continuously intent on 
offering suffrages for the faithful departed. In their 
prayers and good w^orks they remembered, first of all, 
those whose state of grace at the time of their death 
remained doubtful, the greatest sinner, as long as he 
lives on earth, being subject to God’s mercy; as also 
those who died in the fame of sanctity, the smallest 
faults being unable to escape the avenging justice of 
God. They trustfully interceded, knowing that their 
good works would be received b}^ the merciful God, 
who revealed to St. Gertrude that it is not in oppo¬ 
sition to His justice to release the Suffering Souls im¬ 
mediately from all torments, if He was asked in con¬ 
fidence to do so. For in this manner He intends to 
glorif}^ at the same time His mercy and His justice. 

91. The Suffering Souls are loved by the saints 
in heaven just as they were loved by them during 
their earthly pilgrimage, and even more so, because in 
heaven the saints know better their present misery 
and the ineffable glory for which they are destined; 
hence it is their most ardent desire to see them released 
as soon as possible. This love and desire impels them 
to pray assiduously for their eternal rest. We know 
this from the unanimous testimony of the theologians. 
St. Augustine and St. Thomas remark, “ It is a recog¬ 
nized truth that the saints in heaven are very pow'erful 


On the Means of Relievhig the Suffering Souls. 


109 


to procure the release of the souls in Purgatory by 
their intercession.” Holy Church herself announces 
to us that it is profitable and well to invoke the saints 
for the relief of the souls in Purgatory, as she invokes 
them and the angels in Holy Mass and in her liturgical 
prayers to assist them by their intercession. We may 
further instance this truth by what is related of St. 
Francis of Assisi: The saint once appeared to one of 
his brethren and announced to him a privilege which 
had been granted to him by Christ. “I grant thee,” 
the Ford had said to St. Francis, “that every 5^ear, on 
the anniversary of thy death, thou shalt be permitted 
to release all the souls belonging to thy Third Order, 
as also the souls of all th}^ devout clients detained in 
Purgatory, and in virtue of the stigmata with Avhich I 
honored thee, to conduct them to paradise.” From 
this we also see that God Himself gives testimony in 
favor of the invocation of the saints, and that it is in 
accord wdth His will that we should invoke them for 
the release of the Suffering Souls. 

92. However, from this power of the saints in 
heaven in favor of the Suffering Souls it does not fol¬ 
low that God remits punishment in consequence of 
their intercession alone. On the part of the person 
wishing to aid the souls in Purgatory it is necessary 
for him to perform works of atonement in order to 
make his help effective. But in heaven merit is no 
longer acquired. The more probable opinion of theo-’ 
logians favors the view that the souls in Purgatory are 
under penalty of severe divine justice; for otherwise 
the intercession of the saints might obtain their release 
in a short time, and that of the Blessed Virgin in a 
moment. Hence the intercession of the saints in be- 


• 110 Chapter ///. 

half of the Suffering Souls is directed to the following 
objects : They pray—■ 

a) that God may graciously receive the works of 
atonement and the intercession of the faithful on earth 
for the souls in Purgatory ; and this prayer is a most 
appropriate one for the reason that the acceptance of 
the suffrages does not antagonize the demand of strict 
justice; 

b) that God may by His grace inspire the faithful 
members of the Church militant, in order that they 
ma)^ more assiduously intercede for the Holy Souls; 

c) that He may reduce the time of their punish¬ 
ment by augmenting its intensity; this is a great 
favor, since one day in paradise before the time origin¬ 
ally set is an immense gain ; 

d') that God may accept their own supererogator}' 
atonement in suffrage for the souls in Purgatory. 

The latter point is considered doubtful b}' many 
theologians, because the atoning merits of Christ and 
the saints accrue to the treasury of the Church. It is 
moreover doubtful whether the saints pray to Christ 
to apply His merits, in virtue of their intercession, to 
the Suffering Souls. For according to the order estab¬ 
lished by Christ, it is left to the ministers of the Church 
on earth to draw from the treasury of the merits of 
Christ and the saints, after the faithful have performed 
certain good works. As a rule, therefore, Christ Him- 
' self will not draw on this treasury, at least He will 
not do so without some corresponding reciprocation ; 
and the Blessed Virgin and the saints in heaven do not 
pray for anything that is contrary to the order fixed 
by Christ. Whether it be done in exceptional cases 
is beyond our cognition. Thus argues the learned 
Suarez. 





On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. Ill 


How wisely God’s Providence has ordered all 
things in order to draw us to Him! He precludes the 
possibility of our yielding to sloth, since we cannot 
rely solely on the mercy of Christ and the saints in 
our suffrages for the Suffering Souls. The elect are to 
incite us to fulfil the will of God. We pray and labor 
here below, and leave our good works in the hands of 
the saints in heaven, that they may offer them to the 
Almighty and invoke Him to receive them mercifully 
for His poor captive spouses in Purgator}’. 

93. This doctrine of the theologians is corrob¬ 
orated by the Venerable Catherine Emmerich. She 
says, “The Suffering Souls receive no direct aid from 
heaven ; they obtain ever3dhing from the faithful liv¬ 
ing indhis world.” In Faber’s works we find an ob¬ 
servation, the sense of which is as follows: “Some 
authors have maintained that our Lord does not desire 
to help the Suffering Souls without our co-operation, 
and that the Blessed Virgin cannot aid them except 
indirectly, because she is no longer able to perform 
works of atonement.” St. Bridget makes a similar 
remark. Once she saw the Suffering Souls undergoing 
purification in Purgatory similar to gold being purified 
in a crucible, and heard an angel saying, “ Blessed be 
the mortal that hastens to the relief of the Suffering 
Souls. The justice of God demands that they either 
be purified in the flames of Purgatory, or that they be 
released therefrom by the good words of their friends.” 
Then she heard a chorus of mournful voices, “O Lord 
Jesus Christ, just Judge, we implore Thee for the sake of 
Thy infinite mercy to turn away Thine eyes from our 
innumerable sins, and to regard the merits of Th}^ 
passion and death. Imbue with Thy true love the 


112 


Chapter III. 


religious, the priests and the faithful, so that the}^ may 
hasten to our relief by their prayers, .sacrifices, alms- 
deeds and indulgences. They can aid us if they wish; 
they can hasten our union with Thee, O God!”— 
When St. Gertrude on a certain occasion was praying 
most ardently for the relief of the Suficring Souls, she 
was assured by Christ Himself, “It would not be in 
opposition to my justice to release them immediately, 
if you would confidently pray for this purpose.” 

94. By this consideration we should be impelled 
and incited to move God with greater zeal and by 
works of penance to be merciful to the Suffering 
Souls. Let us place our prayers and works into the 
Sacred Heart of Jesus, into His holy wounds, before 
His divine Countenance, imploring Him to present 
our supplications to His Heavenly Father. The Im¬ 
maculate Heart of Mary, full of grace, is always ready 
to receive our supplications, ever inciting us to be 
merciful to the poor Sufferers. The saints, particu¬ 
larly the holy patrons of the Suffering Souls, are 
solicitous for them, and pray to God to move chari¬ 
table hearts on earth to bring them relief. Let us be 
intent on la3dng up spiritual treasures ; let us confide 
them to the saints in heaven for the purpose of offer¬ 
ing them to God’s justice, that we may thereby honor 
those whom God desires us to honor. That God may 
spread more and more this work of mercj^ let us pray 
with St. Augustine when he supplicates heaven for 
his deceased parents: “Do Thou, O my God, inspire 
Thy children, my brethren ; do Thou, O my Lord, in¬ 
spire Thy servants, in order that all those who will 
read this may remember at Thy altar Thy handmaid 
Monica, with Patricius, her husband.” 


On the Jheans of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 11 .') 

Let US draw from this the wholesome lesson con¬ 
veyed in the following words of St. Basil: “Let us 
not take a limited view of God. He who permits the 
sun to shine in splendor, punishes also with blindness ; 
He who lets the rain-drops descend, permits also rain 
of fire. The former is bounty, the latter rigor; by 
the one He draws us to His love, by the other He in¬ 
spires us with fear; so that it may not be said to us : 
Dost thou despise the wealth of His bounty, patience 
and mercy ? Dost thou not know that the bounty of 
God leads to penance?” 

The final act of charity performed by the saints for 
the souls in Purgatory consists in conducting them 
into heaven at the end of. their purification. The 
Venerable Frances of the Blessed Sacrament saw the 
soul of Pope Gregory XV., after a brief Purgatory, 
ascend to heaven surrounded by angels and saints. 
Most conspicuous among the latter were the five 
saints canonized by him, viz. St. Theresa, St. John of 
the Cross, St. Isidore, St. Ignatius and St. Francis 
Xavier.—If we invoke the saints now, we will merit 
thereby to receive the aid of their intercession ; if we 
neglect now to esteem their help, they will deny it to 
us when we are most in need of it. 

^ 23. The Angels and the Suffering Souls. 

95. From the time of our birth, when we become 
wayfarers on the road that leads to our heavenly home, 
we are favored like young Tobias with a companion 
and guide. “Then Tobias going forth found a beauti¬ 
ful young man, standing girded, and as it were, ready 

to walk.- (Tob. v. 5.) As soon as we begin our pil- 

9* 


114 


Chapter III. 


grimage, behold the angel is there, though invisible to 
us, ready to guide and protect us. What the lyord 
promised to the people of Israel is done also for us: 
“Behold, I will send my angel, who shall go before 
thee, and keep thee in thy journey, and bring thee 
into the place I have prepared.” (Exod. xxiii. 20.) 
Such is the service rendered us by our guardian angel 
on our way to heaven. He goes before us showdng us 
the way; he protects us from dangers, and finally con¬ 
ducts us to the place prepared for us in heaven. 

96. His power, by which he has an almost un¬ 
limited control of the visible w^orld, corresponds with 
his sublimity and perfection. It is easier for our angel 
to move and destroy this whole terrestrial sphere, than 
it is for us to give motion to a small globe. We know 
from the Old Testament that an angel in one night 
destroyed one hundred and eighty-five thousand war¬ 
riors of the Assyrian arm}^ and it cost him less effort 
to do that than it would cost us to crush a worm 
beneath our foot. Besides, the velocity of these pure 
spirits is so great that an angel can pass from one 
place to another in less time than is required for the 
human eye or thought to reach the object to which it 
is directed. For the angels are God’s ministers, em¬ 
ployed by Him to accomplish the eternal designs 
of His Providence; and Holy Writ is full of examples 
showing us that God sent His angels to protect His 
servants. Thus an angel led Lot forth from Sodom ; 
an angel conducted Hagar in the desert and preserved 
her son Ismael from death; an angel brought food to 
Daniel in the lion’s den, and saved the three youths in 
the blazing furnace ; an angel fought at the side of the 
Machabees and put to flight their enemy. In the 


On the I\/eans of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 


1 IT) 


New Testament we read that an angel gave warning 
to the Three Wise Men from the East to return to 
their country by another way; an angel appeared to 
Joseph commanding him to take the Divine Child and 
His Mother to Egypt; an angel loosed the bonds of 
the prince of the apostles and conducted him safely 
out of prison. Such is the power with which God has 
invested the guardian spirits of those that hear their 
warning, as He Himself commands, “Take notice ot 
him, and hear his voice, and do not think him one to 
be contemned.” (Exod. xxiii. 21.) They cherish a 
great love for us; they are intent on our welfare, 
assist us in distress, and relieve our necessities. 

97. Sin, and sin alone, is capable of rousing 
against us the anger of our angel. It is in his power 
both to punish us for sin, as also to reward us for our 
good deeds. “And woe to us,” says St. Bernard, “woe 
to us, if we should provoke the anger of the angels to 
such a degree as to cause them to deem us unworthy 
their further presence and ministrations, so that we 
are compelled to weep and moan with the royal 
prophet: ‘My friends and my neighbors have drawn 
near and stood against me: and they that were near 
me stood afar off, and they that sought me used vio¬ 
lence.’” (Ps. XXXVII. 12.) A punishment like this 
should make us fear and tremble. 

In Holy Scripture we find many examples of 
angels visiting sinners with the punishments they had 
incurred. An angel killed seventy thousand by the 
plague during the time of David. An angel killed 
one hundred and eighty-five thousand in the camp of 
Sennacherib. An angel punished Heliodorus for his 
sacrilege by covering him with sores. Angels pour 


116 


Chapter III. 


the vials of God’s wrath over a sinful world. Finally, 
the Gospel assures us that the angels will go forth 
at the end of the world to separate the just from the 
wicked, and to cast the latter into the fiery furnace, 
where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 
How dreadful, if the very angels, to whose care we 
are now committed, should be the ones commissioned 
to execute this terrible sentence on us! Is this not a 
reason to fear their power? Should this thought not 
move us to fulfil with the utmost fidelity our duties 
towards our angels ? 

98. If we but listen to and follow their inspira¬ 
tions, our angels will be a most potent help for us 
in the hour of death. They will strengthen us against 
temptations; they will comfort us in our agony; they • 
will conduct our souls to judgment; they will console 
them in Purgatory. They are not content with per¬ 
forming in our behalf all the services imposed on 
them by God, but desiring most ardently to see us 
truly happy, they are intent on obtaining for us from 
God all the graces and favors conducive to our eternal 
welfare. The guardian angels therefore pray for their 
clients at the throne of God; according to St. John’s 
vision in the Apocalypse, they bear their tears and 
sighs into the Divine Presence; they unite their own 
supplications with those of their wards to move God 
more effectually to mercy. They exclaim, according to 
the prophet, “How long wilt Thou not have mercy on 
Jerusalem” (Zach. i. 12.) and on this troubled soul? 
Now, God willingly hears the prayers of His servants 
and friends, and grants great favors to those for whom 
the angels pray thus assidiously. The angels, we may 
therefore be certain, are continually in attendance on 


On the Meaiis of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 


117 


the suffering souls of their clients in Purgatory; it is 
their most ardent desire to alleviate their torments. 
From Purgatory they come to this world to gather 
diligently the good works performed for the Suffering- 
Souls; they inspire the faithful to pray for them, 
to labor for them. Ascending to heaven with their 
harvest of suffrages, they de.scend thence into Purga¬ 
tory to fill the Suffering Souls with consolation by 
announcing to them the abbreviation of their tor¬ 
ments.— Of the patriarch Jacob we read that he saw in 
his sleep a ladder reaching from the earth to heaven, 
on which angels ascended and descended. They as¬ 
cend to present to the Almighty their petitions in 
favor of the Suffering Souls, and they descend to bring 
to the souls in Purgatory the favors which they ob¬ 
tained for them from God through the good works of 
the faithful on earth. 

Boudon maintains that the angels inform the Suf¬ 
fering Souls of the happenings in this world about 
which these Souls are concerned; that they reveal to 
them who are their benefactors, exhorting them to 
pray for their benevolent friends, in doing which these 
good spirits gladly lend their assistance. St. Augus¬ 
tine says,. “The departed may be informed by the an¬ 
gels of things happening in this world, in so far as 
this is permitted by Him to whose judgment every¬ 
thing is subject.” 

However, it may also happen that certain Suffering 
Souls are deprived of the aid of their guardian angels, 
of the Bles.sed Virgin Mary and the saints, because 
they were not devoted to them during their life on 
earth, or neglected to aid the Suffering Souls. Blessed 
Margaret Mary Alacoque saw souls in Purgatory who 


118 


Chapter III. 


were sentenced to forego the assistance of Mary and 
the saints, because during life they had lived in dis¬ 
cord with their superiors. 

§ 24. Confraternities for the Relief of the 
Suffering Souls. 

99. In the middle of the eighteenth century, the 
Danube, being blocked with ice, flooded a great part 
of Vienna, thereby causing great damage to valuable 
property and threatening the lives of many of the in¬ 
habitants. The force of the angry waters had already 
carried off barns, undermined houses, and threatened 
the lives of all the inhabitants of the suburbs Deopold- 
stadt and Rossau. The lamentations and cries for 
help beggared description. Multitudes witnessed the 
heart-rending scene, but no one dared to come to the 
aid of the unfortunates, the danger was so great. The 
news of the distress was brought to the imperial pal¬ 
ace and to the ears of the emperor Francis. Scarcel3^ 
had he been advised of it, when he hastened to the 
scene of disaster, and jumping into a boat, called out, 
“Who has the courage to save lives with me?” The 
emperor’s word and example inspired all present, and 
soon boats and skiffs were manned with re.scuers. 
All in danger were saved, not a life was lost. This 
was assuredly a royal deed of the Austrian emperor, 
and a heroic deed of those who joined him, worthy of 
feeing recorded on the pages of history and of being 
held up as an example to coming generations. But 
what spiritual lesson does this deed convey to us? 
First, that we ought not to shun danger, however 
great, when there is question of saving life; sec- 


On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 119 

ondly, tliat we should not stand by unaffectedly when 
there is question of saving from the lake of fire the 
souls of our brethren. Therefore, let us demonstrate 
our fraternal charity by joining a confraternit}^ for the 
relief of the Suffering Souls. 

lOO. Terrified at the thought that, as Bellarmiue 
expresses it, “but few just men will escape the exceed- 
ingly great pains of Purgatory, because only a very 
small number are admitted to heaven through the su¬ 
preme mercy of God immediately after their death,” 
compassionate souls resolved to come to the aid of 
their deceased brethren by the extraordinary power 
of united prayer and other works of suffrage. The 
joint intercession, the increased devotion, the multi¬ 
plied grace, the virtues and merits of brethren united 
in God, in a word, the charitable union for the relief of 
the Suffering Souls is a powerful means of moving the 
Heart of a God so full of compassion for Plis children 
in distress. As it is a holy and wholesome minis¬ 
tration of Christian charity to pray for souls departed 
in the faith of Christ and in His divine grace—souls 
that are, nevertheless, still subject to temporal pun¬ 
ishment and unable to acquire merit for themselves—, 
therefore numbers of Catholics have formed unions 
for the purpose of coming to the aid of their deceased 
brethren. By continual suffrage and sacrifice these 
zealous Christians, thus united, endeavored to release 
from the fiery prison of Purgatory as many souls as 
they could in the shortest time possible. 

Hence they resolved, without binding themselves 
under pain of sin, to offer up for this end the Seven 
Offerings of the Most Precious Blood, or seven times 
the Glory be to the Father, etc., or to say the rosary. 


Chapter III. 


1-20 

or some other prayer of their choice, with the ad¬ 
dition, “Eternal rest grant to them, O Lord ! May 
eternal light shine upon them, and may they rest in 
peace. Amen.”—If they are able they give every 
month a small pecuniary contribution as stipends for 
Holy Masses to be said,for the Suffering Souls, or 
to be applied for the expenses incurred in the propa¬ 
gation of the Confraternity for the relief of the Suffer¬ 
ing Souls. The members also give each other mut¬ 
ual encouragement in the performance of other good 
works for the relief of the Suffering Souls, for instance 
by assisting poor boys who have a vocation for the 
priesthood, by contributing to the conversion of the 
heathens, to the support of the poor and sick; they 
often visit the Blessed Sacrament, propagate devotion 
to the Blessed Virgin Mary, assist poor churches, etc. 
They incite one another especiall}^ to assist often at 
Mass, and to receive holy communion frequenth". 
This latter is prescribed by the rules of the Con¬ 
fraternity, and one member is encouraged to it by the 
good example of the other. They are further, en¬ 
couraged by occasional meetings and special sermons, 
and by indulgences granted both for membership in 
the confraternity, as also for the performance of good 
works and the reception of the sacraments as mem¬ 
bers thereof. 

loi. This Pious Union for the aid and relief of 
the Suffering Souls is founded on the faith in Christ, 
without which faith there can be no true spiritual 
fraternity of mankind. True, all men became breth¬ 
ren through their creation by the same God, but they 
did not remain what they were, namely obedient chil¬ 
dren of God. As a result great misery vi.sited man- 


On the iMeans of Relievin o- the Suffering Souls. 


kind—hatred interiorly and war exteriorly. Then 
Christ came into the world. “He came into His own, 
and His own received Him not. But as many as re¬ 
ceived Him, He gave them power to be made sons 
of God.” (John i. ii, 12.) Once children of God, 
they are also brethren. Hence Christian fraternity is 
founded on faith in Christ. With St. Peter the early 
Christians exclaimed: “Thou art Christ, the Son of 
the living God,” and thus became united with one an¬ 
other. “And all they that believed were- together, 
and had all things in common. Their possessions and 
goods they sold, and divided them to all, according 
as everyone had need.” (Acts ii. 44, 45.) They per¬ 
severed together in prayer. This same faith must 
animate us, the faith namely which shows us God as 
the common Father of all men, and all men as our 
brethren in Jesus Christ. This faith directs our atten¬ 
tion also to our departed brethren in Purgatory. It 
speaks to our hearts, thus: “Behold these souls in 
Purgatory, so severely tried and entirely helpless : they 
are your brethren !” This faith, living and operating 
in the souls of those who profess it, will naturally hold 
them together in the bond of a truly Christian fra¬ 
ternity. 

102. The charit}^ of Christ unites the various 
members of the Church. God Himself inscribed in¬ 
delibly into the hearts of men the command, “Thou 
shalt love God above all thiugs, and thy neighbor as 
thyself.” But as soon as man turned his eyes towards 
the forbidden tree in paradise, satan obscured this 
divine command and replaced it by self-love. Inordi¬ 
nate self-love caused all the misery that followed the 
fall of man ; selfishness was the source of all his tears. 


122 


Chapter III. 


of all the streams of blood unjustly shed. Fraternal 
charity had vanished from the world. Then Jesus 
came to re-unite and strengthen the disrupted bond of 
charity, as He Himself declares in His farewell prayer, 
“Holy Father, keep them in my name, whom Thou 
hast given me, that they may be one, as we also are.’' 
(John XVIII. II.) This union He achieved by His 
* divine love for us which He manifested by His death 
on the cross. “Greater love than this no man hath, 
that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 
XV. 13 ) Who can view this love sacrificing itself on 
the cross and close his heart to charity? Forsooth, 
only a heart of stone could do so ! Where charity is 
enkindled in a heart, and especially where charity for 
our suffering brethren in Purgatory dwells, there is the 
true spirit of fraternity; and the more sublime and 
ennobled this charity is, the stronger is its bond, the 
more meritorious its ministry in behalf of the souls in 
Purgatory. 

103. The Confraternity, moreover, must be en¬ 
livened with the spirit of Christ. Without spirit there 
is no life. When man opened his eye, ear and heart 
to Satan, the image of God in his soul was disfigured 
and concupiscence was enkindled. St. Paul portrays 
the miserable condition of man, saying, “All have 
turned out of the way, they are become unprofitable 
together, there is none that doeth good, there is not so 
much as one. Their throat is an open sepulchre, 
with their tongues they have dealt deceitfully ; 
the venom of asps is under their lips: whose mouth 
is full of cursing and bitterness; their feet are swift to 
shed blood. Destruction and misery are in their ways, 
and the way of peace they have not known : there is no 


On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 




fear of God before their eyes.” (Rom. iii. 12—18.) 
Horrible thought, that man could thus debase him¬ 
self! Christ by His death triumphed over sin, and 
diffused His Spirit into all that converted themselves 
to Him, according to His promise by the prophet, “I 
will pour out my spirit upon all flesh : and your sons 
and your daughters shall prophesy ; moreover upon 
my servants and handmaids in those days I will pour 
forth my spirit.” (Joel ii. 28, 29.) And this Holy Spirit 
brought forth abundant fruits, such as “charity, joy, 
peace, patience, benignity, goodness, longanimity, 
mildness, faith, modesty, continenc}^, chastity.” (Gal. 
V. 22, 23.) Jesus lived and died for the welfare of 
mankind ; this same Spirit was transmitted also to His 
disciples, who excluded no one from their charit3^ 
They even sacrificed their temporal possessions for 
the welfare of the living and the dead. We read of 
the first Christians, “And the multitude of believers had 
but one heart and one soul: neither did anyone say 
that aught of the things which he possessed was his 

own, but all things were common unto them. 

Neither was there anyone needy among them.” (Acts 
IV. 32—34.) On this principle of charity are founded 
the confraternities for the relief of the Suffering Souls. 
All their prayers and good works are directed to this 
end. 

104. As long as this one faith, this one charity, 
this uniting spirit of Christ animated all Christians 
and filled them with the courage to lead a holy life, 
there is no mention made in history of special con¬ 
fraternities in the Church. But when error and un¬ 
belief became rampant in the world, when a worldly 
life gained entrance into the Church, when immoral- 



Chaptei' III. 


121 

ity wrought sad havoc in the Christian community, 
then it was that pious Christians formed themselves 
into a confraternity for the purpose of resisting with 
all their might the impending evil which endangered 
so many of their brethren ; in a word, they combined 
• for the purpose of combating the evil of sin, so that a 
pagan governor testifies of the early Christians : “The 
Christians often come together in their dwellings, and 
before they separate they solemnly promise each other 
to abstain from murder, theft, intemperance,” etc. 

Confraternities for the relief of the Suffering Souls 
are moreover a help against transgressing that spirit 
of Christian moderation which the Church inculcates. 
They keep before our eyes the torments of Purgatory'; 
they direct our attention to the needs of the Suffering 
Souls, and dissuade us from worldly display at funerals, 
insisting that we should remember the souls of the de¬ 
parted in prayer and by good works rather than to do 
homage to the world and to satan by sinful extravag¬ 
ance at burials. 

105. We are able to trace such a union or confra¬ 
ternity for the relief of the Suffering Souls as far back 
as the year 700 of the Christian era, namely in Mabil- 
lon’s “Acts of the Saints of the Order of St. Benedict.” 
In the lives of other saints also we often meet with 
leagues of pra^^er which holy persons entered into for 
the purpose of helping one another in mitigating the 
torments of Purgatory. We find instances of this in 
the biographies of St. Boniface, the Venerable Bede, 
Abbot Eudberct of Wiremouth, and others. St. Boni¬ 
face wrote to Optatus, Abbot of Monte Cassino : “We 
ardently implore that a bond of brotherly love unite 
us, so that the living offer prayer for each other, and 


On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 125 

join in prayer and in offering the Holy Sacrifice of 
Mass for the deceased, whose names shall be ex¬ 
changed between us for this purpose.” 

In the St. Benedicts Stimmen of 1880 we are in¬ 
formed that as early as 1005 bishops, priests and cler¬ 
ics formed a league, the former binding themselves to 
celebrate a certain number of Masses after the death of 
a member, the latter to recite the psalter repeatedly. 
Emperors and kings, bishops and other persons of 
rank promised to give food to a certain number of 
poor, or to give a specified alms, and to have lamps 
and tapers lighted in suffrage for the dead. In our 
times also we find these confraternities throughout 
the Church, in villages and cities, for priests, religious 
and laymen. We now proceed to mention some of 
them for practical purposes, particularly such as de¬ 
serve special recommendation on account of their ex¬ 
tensive membership and their extraordinary privileges 
for the living and the dead. 

106. The Archconfraternity of the Most Precious 
Blood was founded at the beginning of the nineteenth 
century by the Rev. Francis Albertini, who at a later 
period became bishop of Terracina, Italy, and died in 
the fame of sanctity in the year 1819. The members 
of this archconfraternity offer up to our Heavenly 
Father the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ for 
the forgiveness of their own sins, for the needs of 
Holy Church, for the conversion of sinners, and for 
the relief of the souls in Purgatory. Pope Pius VII., 
in 1815, raised this pious union to the rank of an arch¬ 
confraternity and endowed it with numerous indul¬ 
gences. These latter were added to considerably in 
1850 and 1852 by Pope Pius IX., and were confirmed 


120 


Chapter Ill. 


anew in 1878 the Sacred Congregation of Indul¬ 
gences. A great admirer and propagator of this now 
widespread devotion and confraternity was the founder 
of the Congregation of the Most Precious Blood, the 
venerable Servant of God, Caspar del Buffalo.—The 
altars of the archconfraternity are privileged ipse facto 
and forever. The members have a special share in 
all the good works and penitential exercises of all 
religious Orders and Congregations in the world. 
(Rescript of 1852.) All the indulgences are appli¬ 
cable by way of suffrage^ to the souls in Purgatory. 

The Confraternity for the relief of the Suffering 
Souls, whose headquarters are in the Redemptorist 
church of St. Mary in Monterone at Rome, was raised 
to the rank of an Archconfraternity by Pope Gregory 
XVI. It is also endowed with many indulgences and 
privileges. It was founded in the church named in 
1841, for the purpose of continually aiding the Suf¬ 
fering Souls by good works and sacrifices. 

Other well known confraternities for the benefit of 
the Suffering Souls are the following: The Archcon¬ 
fraternity of Our Lady of Intercession, at Rome; the 
Pious Union of Masses, at Ingolstadt, Bavaria; the 
Confraternity of the Perpetual Adoration, at Uambach, 
Upper Austria; the League of Helpers of the Holy 
Souls, in France, of which every Catholic can become 
at least an honorary member; St. Benedict’s Society 
of Priests for the relief of the Suffering Souls, at Lam- 
bach; the Society of Priests and Association of Per¬ 
petual Masses, under the patranoge of St. Joseph, for 
deceased priests, etc., etc. 

107. But Christian piety was not satisfied with 
uniting the faithful in unions and societies for the 


j 

% 

4 




3 




\ 


On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 


127 


purpose of attaining more speedily the various pious 
objects aimed at. The devout members of the Church 
felt themselves moved to organize such unions or so¬ 
cieties also for the purpose of combating some preva¬ 
lent heathen custom, or as a means of oppugning more 
effectually some particular sin or vice. For instance, 
there were confraternities against unchaste jests and 
conversations, against forbidden marriages, against 
intemperance in eating and drinking, etc. The faith 
and charity with which the Church was animated 
in the past, are still living and operating within the 
Church of to-day. One of the most laudable Christian 
enterprises of the present age—a work highly bene¬ 
ficial to the deceased as well as the living—is the 
Society against Extravagance at Christian Funerals. 
This Societ}", founded in England, has been spread to 
some extent in our own country, the United States of 
America. God grant that this Society, produ-ctive of 
so much good, may grow more and more in strength 
and influence for the spiritual benefit of the living and 
the dead ! 

io8. To surround death with excessive indica¬ 
tions of sorrow and mourning shows a deplorable de¬ 
generacy of the Christian spirit. The Divine Founder 
of our religion, who sent His own Paraclete to be our 
Consoler, has robbed death of its sting. “Death is 
swallowed up in victory.” (I. Cor. xv. 54.) It is the 
object of the Christian religion to bring consolation to 
mankind on this very point. The natural feeling of a 
Christian at the burial of one of his brethren ought to 
be joyous, buoyed up by the hope of a blessed immor¬ 
tality, by trustful confidence and resignation to the 
will of God. O religion, truly divine, how consoling 


128 


Chapter III. 


thou art to the just! What a wellspring of joy dost 
thou open to him by the promise of a blissful eternity ! 
What could give us greater consolation than the hope 
of another, better life, where sin, sorrow and death 
shall no longer reign ? And this is the goal to which 
we are led by complete and perfect abandonment to 
the will of God. Whosoever truly desires to possess 
God, resigns himself fully to the dispositions of His 
Providence; he is discouraged at no trial, however se¬ 
vere ; patiently he undergoes every probation. This 
resignation is the foundation of every virtue, it is a 
cause of true happiness; it is the virtue by which we 
attain to bliss here and hereafter. 

109. The principal concern of a Christian in the 
hour of death should be the welfare of his soul and 
not the care of his body. His burial therefore ought 
to correspond with all these sentiments. But, alas ! 
in our age the love of display at funerals has taken so 
deep roots that societies are founded for the purpose 
of providing the poor with the necessary means of 
gratifying at funerals this perverse sentiment of show 
and extravagance, thereby withdrawing the attention 
of the faithful from the soul of the deceased and 
directing it to the body. This is a perversion of the 
respect due to the dead, of which all those are guilty 
who ignorantly regard such extravagant demonstra¬ 
tions of mourning as tokens of honor and love. Real 
sorrow at the death of a member of one’s family does 
not seek expression in a pompous funeral; therefore 
Christian burials ought to be models of simplicity. 
Such a society for the benefit of the poor ought to 
take for its aim to oppose all worldly display at fu- 


/ 


On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 129 

nerals of this kind and to do away with costly monu¬ 
ments and unchristian symbols. 

At burials the thoughts of a Christian should be 
directed to his last end; hence he should be more con¬ 
cerned about the soul of his deceased friend or relative 
than about his body. At the moment of its departure 
from the body the soul appears before God’s judgment 
seat. Those who have departed in the state of grace, 
but whose works, though good, are yet found wanting 
in perfection, are sentenced to make atonement in Pur¬ 
gatory. However great our sorrow at parting from 
our loved ones naturally is, the thought that we can 
mitigate their sufferings is a truly consoling one, and 
calls our attention to the means by which this is to be 
done. Our very nature prompts us to pray for the 
deceased in general, and much more so for those who 
were dear to us in life. This sentiment, instilled into 
our souls by God, cannot be a false one; therefore 
alms and other works of suffrage for the Suffering 
Souls must be pleasing to God. But the most efficient 
means of relieving, consoling and releasing the Souls 
in Purgatory is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The 
Society against Extravagance at Funerals directs its 
principal efforts to procure for the Suffering Souls 
a truly Christian demonstration of love and respect. 
The personal expressions of sorrow in which the rela¬ 
tives indulge are rendered sacred in a special manner 
by the renunciation of a pompous funeral. This re¬ 
nunciation is an alms much more acceptable to God 
than any charitable gift to the poor; for by it many 
are dissuaded from lavish extravagance, whereas the 
gift of charity lends temporary assistance only to a 
few persons. 


10 * 


uo 


Chapter III. 


iio. Moreover, the members of the Societ}^ en¬ 
deavor to make extraordinary sacrifices for the benefit ^ 
of the Suffering Souls. What others spend in the 
service of the world, they devote to the assistance of 
the poor, to the conversion of infidels and heretics, to 
the relief of poor convents and religious Orders, and 
to Holy Masses for the dead. The^^ carefully avoid , 
vSin and lead a godly life; above all, they do not 
indulge in impurity, regarding their bodies as temples 
of the Holy Ghost. They patiently bear the trials 
and ills of life. All this the}^ do for the special inten¬ 
tion of bringing consolation and aid to the Suffering 
Souls in Purgatory. 

Is it not most honorable to belong to such a con¬ 
fraternity or society and to be able to think : “I do my 
part and have my share in all the good achieved by it, 
in all the blessings dispensed through its agency?” 

Is it not a most noble charity to pray daily for our 
brethren? Is it not consoling to think: “Thousands i 
pray for me every day ?” Can we thereby not hope to j 
receive many more graces ? And are the numerous in- | 
dulgeuces so easily gained by the members of a con- j 
fraternity not of immense value? By them we shall 
be relieved of a lengthy punishment in the next world, ■ 
and at the same time we can relieve souls now under¬ 
going it. What should we desire others to do for us 
after our death? We should ask, not that they make ' 
an extravagant display at our funeral, but that they 
obtain for us the suffrages of our brethren and the 
services of the Church.—May God in His mercy im¬ 
bue the hearts of the faithful more and more with 
such sentiments, and unite them in such confraterni¬ 
ties for the welfare of the living and the relief of the 
Suffering Souls! 




On the Aleans of Relievmg the Suffering Souls. KH 

111. William V., Duke of Bavaria, ordered in his 
last will that at his funeral every kind of extravagant 
display shall be omitted. In particular he directed 
that no eulogy should be delivered, but in its place 
there should be a sermon on the art of dying well. He 
also ordered that before his interment in the church of 
St. Michael the funeral cortege should be preceded by 
the cross and a banner emblematic of death; that the 
bier should be attended by seventy old men and 
seventy old women in mourning, whom he had assist¬ 
ed in their poverty during life. He moreover forbade 
the erection of a monument, ordering in its place a 
plain cross with the inscription to be seen to-day : 
“Awed at Thy majesty I tremble for my sins; when 
Thou comest to judge me, O Lord, do not condemn me.” 

An example worthy of imitation was given also 
by the late Mr. Cooper, a lawyer in New York. In 
his last will he specified a small amount of money 
which must suffice to cover his funeral expenses, per¬ 
mitting no more carriages than were necessary for the 
members of his family. The sum thus saved was be¬ 
queathed to St. Francis hospital and other charitable 
institutions. 

§ 25. The Efficacy of Holy Water in Behalf 
of the Suffering Souls. 

112. The priest blesses water in the name of the 
Church, to be used for ritual purposes and by the faith¬ 
ful. The priest in reciting the form of the blessing 
makes the sign of the cross over the water, and mingles 
with it a little salt that has been previously blessed. 
The prayer recited is a petition that God may preserve 
those sprinkled with this water from the snares of 


182 


Chapter III. 


Satan, grant them health of body and purity of soul, 
etc. Holy water is to remind us of the Sacred Blood 
of Christ, by which we are cleansed from sin, and 
whose prototype saved Israel from the Destroying 
Angel. It is moreover to exhort us that we should 
purify our souls by a chaste and pious life. Let us 
therefore remember how Jesus shed His Precious 
Blood amid excruciating torments to cleanse us from 
sin and to deliver us from the bondage of satan; let us 
pray to be more and more cleansed in the Blood of 
Jesus, and to be preserved from future sins. And may 
God, through the death of Him who vanquished satan 
by the shedding of His Blood, protect us in all dangers, 
and ward off from us all temporal and spiritual evils. 

113. The prayer of the Church and the blessing 
of the priest are rendered efficacious through the 
merits of Christ. Hence the faithful and confident 
use of holy water is attended with great benefits for 
soul and body in life, and brings consolation to the 
souls of the faithful departed. The following are some 
of its effects: 

a) It brings 'remission of venial sins to the souls 
in the state of grace. 

b) By the devout use of it at least a part of the 
temporal punishment of sin is remitted. 

c) It promotes the health of the body. 

d) It puts to flight the evil spirits and guards us 
against their snares. 

e) It prevents sickness and wards off other evil 
influences. 

When we take holy water and sprinkle ourselves 
or our surroundings with it, the prayer of the Church 
ascends to heaven, drawing down blessings upon us 




On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 13)) 

and on the objects that are sprinkled with it. The 
missionary, Father Alexander of Rodez, relates that 
his catechists wrought numerous miraculous cures by 
the sign of the cross and the sprinkling of holy water. 
Thus he once sent six catechists to a village sadly 
afflicted with sickness, and within a week they healed 
two hundred and seventy-two sick persons. Church 
history relates that holy water was also used to avert 
the plague of locusts. For instance Pope Stephen VI. 
had the fields devastated by locusts sprinkled with 
holy water blessed by himself, when these voracious 
insects suddenly disappeared. 

114. Holy water may be used not only for the 
purpose of benefiting persons present, but may also 
be applied with the intention of procuring its blessed 
effects for the absent, and especially for the Suffering 
Souls. In this case the prayer of the Church ascends 
to heaven in favor of the person or soul intended to be 
helped. A drop of holy water is sometimes more 
effectual than a long prayer. Our prayer is often dis¬ 
tracted and lukewarm ; the prayer of the Church con¬ 
nected with holy water always pleases God, no matter 
when, where and by whom it is said—provided it be 
said in the name of the Church. Hence the Suffering 
Souls thirst for holy water, and could we but witness 
their yearning for a drop of it, we would certainly not 
omit to refresh them at least in the morning and even¬ 
ing and sometimes during the day with its sacred dew. 

115. From the following private revelations we 
may conclude with what joy the Suffering Souls 
receive, and how yearningly they long for holy water. 
— A stranger had been buried in the Campo sa 7 iio at 
Rome. Seventeen years afterwards he appeared to the 


Chapter III. 


Venerable Dominic of Jesus-Mary, begging that the 
remains of his body might often be sprinkled with 
holy water, because thereby his soul would be re- . 
freshed. This same servant of God, as is customary 
with the Carmelites, had a skull always lying before ; 

him on his desk. One day he sprinkled this skull i 

with holy water, when he heard a pitiful voice implor¬ 
ing him: “More holy water! More holy water!” 
The sprinkling of the holy water undoubtedly re- j 
freshed the soul and relieved its pains in the fier}^ i 
prison.—To the Venerable Sister Frances of the 
Blessed Sacrament there often appeared a deceased 
Sister begging that her grave be sprinkled with holy 
water, because her soul was refreshed thereby.—The 
Venerable Tindmayer was frequently reminded by God 
to sprinkle the remains of the deceased with holy 
water, and she was accustomed, before retiring, to 
sprinkle the souls that appeared to her. Once she for¬ 
got to do so, when the souls continued to implore her j 
till she rose from her bed and complied with their | 
request. i 

The following is related by the learned divine ^ 
Mendo in his life of St. Martin, canon regular of Diege, 
the manuscript of which is still preserved in the con- ; 
vent of St. Isidor : “There were many saints who 
were privileged to enjoy the visible intercourse of their 
guardian angels; and this holy servant of God during 
his whole life was similarly attended by the soul of a 
priest from Purgatory. This soul revealed to him, ' 
among other particulars concerning the punishments 
of that state of purification, that the souls felt a great 
mitigation of the pain of fire as often as the faithful 
sprinkled with holy water the graves in which their 





On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. loS 

bodies were buried, feeling its effect in about the same 
manner as when in life a person overcome by heat is 
refreshed with water, 

116. With regard to the use of holy water the 
directions of the Church and the example of our an¬ 
cestors are the unerring compass which we must fol¬ 
low. Hence, if we desire to be worthy children of the 
Church and of our glorious predecessors in the faith, 
we must do as follows : As often as we enter a church, 
we ought to sprinkle ourselves with holy water, dip¬ 
ping our bare fingers into it and devoutly making the 
^ign of the cross. Thereby we drive away satan, and 
excite ourselves to recollection in prayer. On Sun¬ 
days we should assist at the sprinkling of holy water 
which takes place regularly before the parochial Mass. 
We should not omit to have holy water at home, pre¬ 
serving it in an appropriate vessel and in a decent 
place. In Catholic Europe there was a time when not 
a house was to be found in city or country, no matter 
how rich or poor the dwellers therein, where holy 
water, the crucifix and sacred images were not kept. 
Even to-day we find these indications of a true reli¬ 
gious spirit wherever true faith has a home.—The use 
of holy water is very ancient. Some are of the opinion 
that it was introduced by the apostles. Its introduc¬ 
tion in homes where its use was hitherto unknown, 
would go far to revive the spirit of faith. 

117. If hitherto we have made use of holy water 
from custom, simply because we were thus trained, let 
us henceforth do so from a conviction of its usefulness 
and with due regard to its purposes. Convinced that 
we give great consolation to the souls in Purgatory b}^ 
the devout application of holy water, can we regard it 


Chapter III. 


LS6 


as troublesome to give a drop to them on leaving or 
entering the room ? It is a commendable custom when 
using holy water to give one drop for ourselves and 
the loving members of our family to receive protection 
for soul and body; a drop for the dying, especially 
dying sinners, that God may be moved to grant them 
the grace of conversion; and a third drop for the Suf¬ 
fering Souls in Purgatory. Oh, how much of blessing 
and true welfare, of merit and grace we would obtain 
during the course of the year for our dear ones and for 
innumerable others by this easy practice, thereby gain¬ 
ing a great number of intercessors during life, in death, 
and for the time of our own purification in Purgatory! 
As often as we perform this service for the Suffering 
Souls, the}^ will requite it by interceding for us with 
an ardor impossible to the most saintly persons on 
earth. And God willingly hears their prayer, it being 
the prayer of His elect, and vouchsafes an immeasur¬ 
able amount of grace to their helpers. 

118. Hence the devout Christian, who is zealous 
for the glor}^ of God and intent on his salvation and on 
the release of the Suffering Souls, makes it a practice 
to use holy water often—at home as well as in church. 
He sprinkles himself on entering the church and on 
leaving it; he is careful to keep it at home, and 
sprinkles himself on rising in the morning, before leav¬ 
ing the house, and before retiring for the night. Many 
zealous Christians make it a practice to take holy water 
as they enter or leave a room, in temptation, danger of 
lightning, etc. Good parents bless their children with 
it every evening. 

When using this salutary sacramental, let us pray 
that God, for the sake of our Redeemer’s Blood, may 


071 the Means of Relieviiii^ the Siijfering Souls. 


187 


grant to the souls in Purgatory refreshment in their 
pains and speedy relief.—Behold how light and fleeting 
the vapor of steam: 3'et these few drops of diluted 
water are powerful enough to move enormous burdens ! 
How small and inconsiderable is a gnat, how insignifi¬ 
cant its sting; yet under certain circumstances such a 
sting may cause death ! Now, if things so small and 
apparently so insignificant may cause death, why 
should not small things have saving properties? A 
drop of holy water possesses them. Oh, what comfort 
it gives to a Suffering Soul!—Deodatus, one of the an¬ 
cient Fathers of the desert, remarks: “As the flowers 
withering in the heat of the sun are refreshed by the 
rain, so also the souls in Purgatory—these flowers elect 
of heaven, scorched by the Sun of eternal Justice—are 
refreshed by the devout application of holy water.” 
Hence the cry of Dives in hell: “ Father Abraham, 
have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip 
the tips of his fingers in water, to cool my tongue, for 
I am tormented in this flame.” (Luke xvi. 24.) His 
request was refused. “But,” says the learned Eck, 
“when the souls in Purgator}^ thus address us, saying, 
‘My brother in Christ, dip the tip of your finger in holy 
water and cool us, for we are tormented in this flame 
of Purgatory,’ oh, do not refuse to do so, but grant 
them this consolation ! ” 

^ 26. The Burning of Blessed Candles is Beneficial 
to the Suffering Souls. 

119. God Himself in the Old Law ordained that 
lights should be used in His temple and at the religi¬ 
ous rites performed there. For this purpose He gave 
the minutest directions : “Thou shalt make a candle- 


188 


Chapter III. 


Stick of beaten work of the finest gold.Thou shalt 

make also seven lamps, and shalt set them upon the 
candlestick, to give light over against.” (Exod. xxv. 
31, 37.) These lamps were to burn continually. 
“Command the children of Israel that they bring thee 
the purest oil of olives, and beaten with a pestle : that 
a lamp may burn always in the tabernacle of the testi¬ 
mony. And Aaron and his sons shall order it, that it 
may give light before the Lord until morning. It 
shall be a perpetual observance throughout their suc¬ 
cessions among the children of Israel.” (Exod. xxvii. 
20, 21.) 

120. Under the Christian dispensation the use of 
lights was retained not only when the sacred mys¬ 
teries were celebrated at night during times of persecu¬ 
tion, but also during the day. In the early Church 
those selected to take care of the lamps and candles 
were specially ordained for this purpose. This minor 
order of acolytes is still conferred by the Church. 
And because candles and lamps are used at divine 
service, the Church blesses them. The burning lamp 
or candle signifies Christ, the eternal Light, which we 
implore in our prayers to shine upon the departed. 
At the same time they are also a continual admonition 
for the living to remember their deceased brethren ; 
they are an alms for the Suffering Souls symbolizing 
charity; for as the flame gradually consumes the 
blessed candle, thus charity reduces the torments of 
the purifying fire. • St. Anthanasius lays great stress 
on this pious custom. He says, “Though the deceased 
is buried in the earth, thou must not omit to burn oil 
and wax on his grave, for this is pleasing to God and 
merits great reward. Oil and wax are an offering, the 



0)1 the Mea)is of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 


189 


Holy Sacrifice is a propitiation, and alms given to the 
poor is an increase of recompense.” 

121. The tombs, particularly those of the martyrs 
and saints, were adorned even at the time of the early 
persecutions. Hence St. Thomas, with St. John Da¬ 
mascene, declared that oil was among the gifts offered 
in early times for the relief of the departed. In the 
middle ages the custom prevailed and in certain coun¬ 
tries, for instance in Southern Germany, has descended 
to our times, the custom, namely, of burning lamps on 
the graves throughout the year, or at least during cer¬ 
tain seasons of the year. The Church sanctions this 
pious practice by recognizing provisions for this pur¬ 
pose, and by burning numerous lights at all her solem¬ 
nities. This custom is observed particularly in places 
of pilgrimage, in convents, etc., where a number of 
lamps are kept burning day and night during Triduums 
or Novenas for the souls in Purgatory. At St. John’s 
Protectory, West Seneca, New York, there are often 
over three hundred lamps burning for this intention. 
In the basilica of our Dady of the Sacred Heart, at 
Issodoun, France, over one hundred lamps are kept 
continually lighted; numerous lamps burn for this 
same devout purpose in the House of the missionaries 
of the Sacred Heart at West De Pere, Wisconsin ; at 
Loreto, in Italy; at Einsiedeln, Switzerland, etc., in 
all of which places provision is made to satisfy the 
individual devotion of those who desire such lamps to 
be lighted on the altar. 

122. Finally, examples are not wanting to prove 
that this pious custom is acceptable to the souls in 
Purgatory, and legendary lore knows of touching in¬ 
cidents showing that God Himself sometimes gave 


140 


Chapter III. 


evidence of His approval of this practice. A lamp at I 
the tomb of St. Thomas the apostle continued burn- | 
ing during the fiercest storms, sometimes even after ' 
the oil was consumed. The same is related concern¬ 
ing St. Gregory and St. Constantine. The efforts of 
the evil spirit to extinguish the lamps of St. Genevieve, 
in Paris, were ineffectual; the symbol of virginity con- j 
tinned to shed its light. Boudon relates that a de- ] 
ceased person appeared to a relative and complained ] 
bitterly that the customary number of candles had j 
not been offered at his funeral. Also, that pitiful ] 
moaning was heard in a house where it had been neg- i 
lected one Saturday to light the customary “Poor 
Souls’ Candle.”—A priest vouches for the following 
which he related to the author: A peasant of his 
acquaintance, in the Tyrol, attempted during three ■ 
nights to steal fruit from his neighbor’s orchard. 
PvVery time he came near the place, a light either came 
toward him, or moved in a circle around the house, j 
Later he confessed his guilt to the owner, observing j 
that the latter must have a vigilant guard. The man I 
replied that he knew of no guard, except that it was 
his custom to burn a candle every evening for the 
Suffering Souls, and that these grateful spirits must ' 
have guarded his property. 

§ 27. Effect of Indulgences on the Suffering 

Souls. 

123. It is of faith, that if Christ had shed but one 
single drop of His Most Precious Blood, this would 
have sufficed for the salvation of all mankind. As He 
has shed all His Blood for us, and moreover, as all His 
labors and sufferings possess infinite value to atone 




On the Means of Relieving the Suffer mg Souls. 141 

for all sins and their punishment—where is the im¬ 
mense treasury thus merited for mankind? Surely, it 
was not the will of God that it should, so to say, be 
lost or become unprofitable. Whom, then, has God 
entrusted with all these infinite merits of the passion 
and death of Christ?—They were placed into the 
treasury of the Church, to be always at the disposal 
of the faithful. The same is true of all the supere¬ 
rogatory merits and atonements of the Blessed Virgin 
Mary and the saints. The works of Christ are satis¬ 
factory by reason of their own proper value, while those 
of the saints are satisfactory only through the grace 
of Christ, which gives them their worth. The super¬ 
fluous satisfactions of the saints, or those which they 
did not need for payment of their own debts, are added 
to the merits of Christ, not by way of supplement, 
since His satisfactions are superabundantly sufficient, 
but by way of accumulation or fruit, or of interest ac¬ 
cruing from His satisfactory merits. This is a con¬ 
sequence of the communion of saints, whereby one 
member of the Church communicates in all the spiri¬ 
tual goods of the others, since they are members of one 
body, in organic union with its Head. 

124. According to the doctrine of the Church, the 
guilt of sin and its eternal punishment is remitted in 
the sacrament of Penance. The te 7 nporal punishment 
' due to sin however is not always remitted eiitirely in 
the sacrament of Penance, as is done in Baptism. This 
remaining temporal punishment, as long as it is not 
remitted, must be suffered either in this world or in 
Purgatory, before we can enter heaven. Satisfaction 
for temporal punishment is made by the works of 
penance imposed in the sacrament of Penance and 


142 


Chapter III. 


united with the merits of Christ, and is applied to us 
by the power of binding and loosing granted to the 
Church. By this same power works of penance are 
imposed on us outside the sacrament of Penance for 
the purpose of gaining indulgences. Finally, satisfac¬ 
tion is also rendered by voluntary works of penance, 
and by unavoidable sufferings borne with patience 
and resignation—all this in union with the merits of 
Christ. . 

An indulgence therefore is the remission of the 
temporal punishment due to sin which the Church 
grants to the faithful, provided they observe certain 
conditions. The entire temporal punishment is re¬ 
mitted by a plenary indulgence ; a part of it only by a 
partial indulgence. The Council of Trent declares 
that “the use of indulgences is in the highest degree 
wholesome to the Christian people; that the Church 
was empowered by Christ to grant them, and has 
made use of this power from the earliest ages; and 
that because their use is approved of by the councils, 
they are to be retained in the Church.” 

125. By an indulgence the temporal punishment 
is remitted only on certain conditions; that is, the 
gaining of the indulgence is made dependent on the 
performing of certain specified good works. By the 
faithful performance of these works the temporal pun¬ 
ishment is atoned for; or rather, to state it more ex¬ 
actly, the punishment is thereby counterbalanced; 
However, not ever}^’ temporal punishment incurred by 
sin can be remitted by indulgences. For the temporal 
punishment of sin can be threefold: first, punishments 
of a natural order—for instance poverty, sickness, dis¬ 
grace, etc.; secondly, punishments inflicted by Provi- 


On the Means oj Relieving the Suffering Souls. 

dence and to be undergone in this world and in Purga¬ 
tory; thirdly, punishments fixed by the penitential 
code of the Church, by which she ordained certain 
penances for certain sins. To maintain that the pun¬ 
ishments of the natural order are remitted by indul¬ 
gences would be saying too much, for the natural 
consequences of sin can be removed only by divine in¬ 
terposition. An indulgence therefore can be nothing 
more than the remission of one or both of the two 
other kinds of punishment mentioned, because for the 
remission of these punishments no change of the natu¬ 
ral order is necessary. These two kinds of punish¬ 
ment being inflicted by the will of God, they must also 
be remitted by this same divine will. 

We now come to the question: Who can declare 
that certain temporal punishments of sin are remit¬ 
ted?—It cannot be denied that the Church of Christ 
has this power; but she has not the power to change 
the natural order established by God. When God has 
fixed a punishment, the Church cannot summarily 
declare this punishment to be remitted ; she can only 
replace it by a punishment of some other kind. This 
she does by adding to certain penitential works to be 
performed by the penitent with scrupulous exactitude 
the infinite merits of Christ committed to her treasury, 
thus rendering them so valuable that they replace the 
punishment fixed by God. 

126. To gain an indulgence the first rule to be 
observed is contained in the motto: “All for the 
greater glory of God !” If we were intent only on our 
own profit or that of the deceased, without regard to 
the glory of God, we would not gain the indulgence. 
We must seek our own salvation and that of others 


U4 


Chapter III. 


because it is the will of God that we should. The 
more the love of God is increased in our hearts, the 
easier it will be for us to overcome our natural evil iu- 
clinations. If we have triumphed .over every volun¬ 
tary, conscious inclination to sin, then w^e are in the 
condition requisite for gaining an indulgence. For to 
gain a plenary indulgence we must be without sin; 
not only without mortal sin, but without unrepented 
venial sin, 3^ea, without voluntary, conscious inclina¬ 
tion even to venial sin, which though venial is never¬ 
theless sin. By a plenary indulgence we are delivered 
entirely from the punishment of sin, so that we would 
be admitted to heaven immediately in case w^e should 
die right after gaining such an indulgence. 

As often as we desire to gain a plenary indulgence, 
let us strive to fulfil with the greatest purity of heart 
the conditions that are prescribed. If we do not gain 
the indulgence to its whole extent, we may be sure 
that we will gain at least a part of it. 

127. The power of the Church to apply indul¬ 
gences to the faithful departed is a consequence of the 
intimate union existing between the Church militant 
and the Church suffering. This is evident from the 
papal Bulls. Moreover, the doctrine that the living 
can come to the relief of the dead is clearly contained 
in Holy Scripture, and is handed down to us by the 
most ancient tradition. It is evident that if private 
suffrages relieve the Suffering Souls, the suffrages 
authorized by the popes, and for which they granted 
an indulgence, must have the same effect. Heretics, 
for example Luther, Calvin, etc., deny that the Church 
has the power of granting indulgences applicable to 
the souls in Purgatory. The Church has ever pro- 


On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 145 

claimed the doctrine that she can aid the Suffering 
Souls by indulgences. St, Thomas Aquinas declares 
it to be a custom of the Church to grant indulgences 
not only to the living, but also for the benefit of the 
dead. Pope Sixtus IV. condemned the doctrine of 
Osma, who maintained that the pope had no power to 
release the punishments of Purgatory. Pope Leo IX. 
declared it to be the continued doctrine of the Roman 
Church, that the pope had the power of granting 
indulgences for the benefit of the living and the dead. 

128. Since, however, the Church on earth has no 
jurisdiction over the souls of the dead, she cannot 
apply indulgences to them hi the same manner as she 
does to the living. To the latter she grants indul¬ 
gences by way of judicial sentence and absolution, to 
to the former she does so b}^ way of suffrage. That is, 
the Church in applying indulgences to the dead offers 
to God the satisfaction made by the good works of the 
faithful and rendered meritorious through the merits 
of Christ; in doing so she petitions the Most High 
that, in view of the offered payment. Pie would deign 
in His mercy to remit the whole or a part of the debt 
of temporal punishment still weighing on the soul of 
the deceased. In granting an indulgence to the liv¬ 
ing the pope’s act may be compared to that of a man 
who gives the means of pa3anent into the hands of the 
person indebted, thereby enabling him to release him¬ 
self from prison ; in granting an indulgence for the 
dead he may be said to act like a man wLo offers pay¬ 
ment of the debt to the creditor, asking that in his 
mercy he might release the prisoner. 

It has always been the practice of the popes to 
grant numerous indulgences applicable to the Suffer- 


146 


Chapter III. 


ing Souls ; by the gaining of which indulgences we 
cede to these imprisoned friends of God so much re¬ 
mission of temporal punishment as we would have 
obtained for ourselves. The charity of Holy Church 
for the souls in Purgatory has alwa3^s been the same ; 
in her love and compassion she continually invents 
new means and methods of assisting them. She has 
granted indulgences for various devotions, exercises, 
praj^ers, etc., in order that all her children might ever 
co-operate with her the more readily and willingly in 
the grand work of relieving and rescuing the Suffering 
Souls. 

129. God does not always bestow the indulgence 
on that soul for whom we intend to gain it, especially 
if the soul be that of a Christian, who during his 
life in this world was negligent in gaining indulgences 
and relieving the Suffering Souls; for divine justice 
deals according to the words of Christ, “With what 
measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again.” 
(Matth. VII. 2.) It is probable in such a case that 
God applies the indulgence to some other soul more 
pleasing to Him; and this soul will then be very 
grateful to the person hy whose charit}^ it is relea.sed 
from Purgatory. The same is due with regard to 
Masses said for a certain soul at a privileged altar 
with the intention that the indulgence granted in con¬ 
sequence of the privilege may be applied for the re¬ 
lease of that soul from Purgatory. When the indul¬ 
gence is refused to the soul for whom it was intended, 
God will probably grant it to some one of its rela¬ 
tives in Purgatory; or it may be given to a soul who 
in this world was assiduous in prayer for the Suf¬ 
fering Souls, but is now forgotten. This may some- 






On the Means oj Relievitig the Suffering Souls. 147 

times be the case with poor persons, who during their 
life on this earth remembered the Suffering Souls by 
prayer and good works, but who, for want of means 
on the part of their relations, do not receive the benefit 
of even one Holy Sacrifice after their death. 

130. St. Magdalen of Pazzi and the religious of 
her convent were confirmed in their zeal to gain in¬ 
dulgences for the Suffering Souls by the release of 
one of the Sisters, who after her death had to suffer in 
Purgatory for fifteen hours, and was then released on 
account of the indulgences gained for her by the in¬ 
mates of the convent. She revealed to St. Magdalen 
that this speedy deliverance was due to the zeal she 
had herself manifested during life to gain indulgences 
for the Suffering Souls. 

It was revealed to St. Bridget that many and great 
punishments are remitted on account of indulgences, 
so that whosoever departs this life after having gained 
a plenary indulgence before consenting to another 
sin, is admitted to heaven the same as one dying in 
his baptismal innocence.—At Venice there lived a 
pious priest who intended to make a pilgrimage to 
Asssisi in order to gain the great indulgence of Porti- 
uncula. Falling sick before he was able to do so, he 
requested a friend to gain the indulgence and to apply 
it for his release from Purgatory in case he should die. 
Soon after he departed this life, but his friend post¬ 
poned the gaining of the indulgence. One day the de¬ 
ceased appeared to him quite disconsolate, and asked 
him: “Why do you postpone so long the good work I 
so ardently implored you to perform? Go at least 
now, I pray, and gain the indulgence for me!’’ The 
friend did so, and the deceased appeared to him radi- 


148 


Chapter III, 


ant as the sun, telling him that by the indulgence 
he had been released from Purgatory and was now on 
his way to heaven. 

As we may take it for granted that many of our 
relatives, friends, benefactors, etc. are in Purgatory, 
where they have to undergo severe punishment, who 
amongst us should not be most zealously intent on 
gaining for them as many indulgences as possible, 
thereby to release these poor captives from their 
prison ? 

§ 28. Fasting for the Benefit of the 
Suffering Souls. 

131. Everybody in this world experiences in him¬ 
self two conflicting powers, which are described by 
St. Paul as follows: “I am delighted with the law of 
God according to the inward man : but I see another 
law in my members, fighting against the law of my 
mind, and captivating me in the law of .sin, that is in 
my members.” (Rom. vii. 22, 23.) Reason and reli¬ 
gion demand that in this combat of the “inward man” 
we decide in his favor against .sin. Our soul is immor¬ 
tal, the breath of God, His image. Our body is a hand¬ 
ful of cla}^, soon to moulder in the grave. What does 
it matter if the body, a food for worms, be made to 
suffer, if only the immortal soul be saved ? Of what 
consequence is it, if the body die, if only the soul lives? 
St. Paul was the apostle of the gentiles, a light of the 
world, a vessel of election; nevertheless he felt it a 
necessary duty to bring his body into subjection. He 
says, “ I chastise my body and bring it into subjection, 
lest perhaps when I have preached to others, I myself 
should become a castaway.” (I. Cor. ix. 27.) Many 
Christians are filled with terror of their adversary, the 


On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 


149 


devil, of whom St. Peter says that “as a roaring lion 
he goeth about seeking whom he may devour" 
(I. Pet. V, 8.); but let them know that the devil him¬ 
self with all his cunning and power is not able to injure 
their souls as much as they themselves may injure it 
by pampering their flesh. Let us bear in mind that 
the assaults of hell are greatly weakened by the morti¬ 
fication of our flesh. If we hate satan, then how much 
more should we hate our flesh, which is more treach¬ 
erous than satan ! During mortal life the souls in Pur¬ 
gatory did not always have a due regard for the final 
results of vain pleasures, but often looked only to the 
momentary gratification of their senses. Hence they 
must now atone even for the least inordinate enjoyment 
of sensual pleasure. 

132. In order to help the Suffering Souls, we must 
render satisfaction to God for the sins that offended 
Him. We must satisfy the demands of divine justice 
by corresponding works of atonement, works by which 
God is glorified, and man is deprived of some enjoy¬ 
ment in penalty for the sinful gratification in which he 
wrongfully indulged. Now it is manifest that God is 
glorified by every good work; whereas to fallen man 
every good work is troublesome and painful, so that 
the performance of such a work deprives him of some 
kind of gratification. Hence every good work has a 
propitiatory quality. As in prayer we consecrate our 
whole being to God, trampling under foot the pride of 
life by the humility of supplication, so also do we by 
fasting deny ourselves in atonement for the rebellion 
of our flesh against the law of God. By fasting we 
chastise our body, refuse gratification to its appetite, 
give strength to our soul and pleasure to our whole 


150 


Chafyler III. 


Spiritual being. Fasting is directed against the lusts 
of the flesh and the sins proceeding therefrom, against 
all forbidden pleasures and enjojmients. By fasting, 
therefore, we atone for the sins committed by and 
against our body. Instead of applying this atonement 
to ourselves, we can offer it to Almighty God in union 
with the fast of Christ in favor of the Suffering Souls. 

133. To propitiate the offended majesty of God 
was the end for which St. John the Baptist performed 
such austere penance. Of His fore-runner our Savior 
Himself said that “there hath not risen among them 
that are born of woman a greater” (Matth. xi. ii.); 
and yet “he was clothed with camel’s hair, and a 
leathern girdle about his loins; and he ate locusts and 
wild honey.” (Mark i. 6.) Our Divine Redeemer Him¬ 
self, “the Way, the Truth and the Life,” (John xiv. 
6,), gives us an example of the efficacy and value of 
fasting. To prepare Himself for the great work of 
redeihption He observed a fast of forty days and forty 
nights. To appease divine wrath and to obtain mercy 
for his people, Moses “fell down before the Lord as 
before, forty days and nights neither eating bread nor 
drinking water, for all your sins which you had com¬ 
mitted against the Lord, and had provoked Him to 
wrath : for I feared His indignation and anger, where¬ 
with being moved against you. He would have de¬ 
stroyed you. And the Lord heard me this time also.” 
(Deuter. ix. 18, 19.) This clearly demonstrates how 
efficient fasting is to obtain God’s mercy.—Christian 
soul, comtemplate the torments of Purgatory! Let 
your heart be moved to compassion for the Suffering 
Souls. Follow the example of Moses, thereby to re¬ 
lease these poor spouses of Christ! 


On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 151 

134. Lysimachus, king of Thracia, while sur¬ 
rounded by his enemies, suffered severely from thirst. 
To obtain water he delivered himself and his army to 
the enemy, thus sacrificing his liberty and his king¬ 
dom for a drink. David, the royal prophet, acted 
differently. Surrounded by his enemies, and ex¬ 
hausted by the fatigues of battle, he exclaimed, “O 
that some man would give me water from the cistern 
of Bethlehem, w^hich is in the gate !” (i. Paralip xi. 

17.) The water was brought to him by three captains 
of his army, who risked their lives in fetching it from 
the cistern. “And he would not drink of it, but 
offered it to the Lord.”—A soul thus master of its 
appetite and inclinations is capable of every virtue 
and will surely be rewarded by the Lord. 

We might mention ever so many signal blessings 
which the saints obtained by fasting and prayer ; but 
we confine ourselves to two examples. The Blessed 
Cecilia, a Dominican nun, was accustomed to mortify 
herself in drinking, thereby to honor the sacred thirst 
of our Lord on the cross, and to quench the flames of 
Purgatory. After her death she appeared to one of 
the Sisters, and revealed to her that immediatel}^ on 
her entrance into Purgatory an angel appeared bearing 
a golden vase from which he poured water into the 
flames, and then led her to heaven.—King Sancio 
having died of poison, the queen prayed day and night 
for the repose of his soul, and on Saturdays fasted on 
bread and water in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mar5^ 
Her husband appeared to her thanking her for her 
penitential suffrages, and begging her to continue 
them. After this apparition she persevered in fasting 
and pra3^er for forty days.' Then she saw him again 


152 


Chapter III. 


surrounded by heavenly splendor, and heard him ad¬ 
dress her with these words : “Now I am released from 
my torments. I owe it to you, my pious queen ; may 
God bless you for it throughout all eternity.” 

135. In order that our fasting may be beneficial 
to the Suffering Souls, it is not enough for us to ab¬ 
stain from food and drink, but we must also refrain 
from committing sin. Our fasting, to be efficient for 
the release of the captive souls from their prison, 
must be done according to the spirit of God. Our 
Lord says by the mouth of the prophet, “Is not this 
rather the fast that I have chosen ? Loose the hands 
of wickedness, undo bundles that oppress, let them 
that are broken go free, and break asunder every bur¬ 
den. Deal thy bread to the hungry, and bring the 
needy and the harborless into thy house ; when thou 
shalt see one naked, cover him, and despise not thine 
own flesh.” (Isai. LViii. 6, 7.) Through the same 
prophet the Lord rejects fasting that is not attended 
by self-denial. “Behold in the day of your fast your 
own will is found, and you exact of all your debtors,” 
(meaning, that stubbornness and want of charity 
render our fasting useless); “behold you fast for de¬ 
bates and strife, and strike with the fist wickedly. Do 
not fast as 3^011 have done unto this day, to make your 
cry be heard on high.” (Isai. lviii. 3, 4.) —If you de¬ 
sire to relieve the Suffering Souls, the bonds of ini¬ 
quity that bind your soul must be loosed, your soul 
must not be held captive by pride, avarice, impuritjq 
envy and other vices. 

Let us, then, fast by abstaining from hatred, anger, 
impurity, slander, etc.; in a word, let us fast by our 
works. If you see a person in distress, come to his 


On the Jl/eans of Relieving the Suffering Souls, 15 ;? 

relief; if your neighbor is prosperous, do not envy 
him. Let your hands fast by keeping them from ac¬ 
quiring unjustly what is not yours ; your heart, by 
guarding it against covetousness; your feet, by pre¬ 
venting them from going to dangerous amusements. 
How often have we neglected all this, and yet it is an 
essential condition if our fasting is to be meritorious 
for the Suffering Souls! Let us therefore remember 
the exhortation of St. Augustine: “What will it avail 
us if we abstain from wine, but are intoxicated with 
anger; if we abstain from flesh meat, but like wild 
animals destroy the reputation and good name of our 
neighbors ?’’ 

136. St. Francis of Sales relates that a mother re¬ 
leased her son from Purgatory by performing an heroic 
act of charity. He had been murdered, and his 
mother not only forgave the murderer, but shielded 
him from justice. Her son was permitted to appear 
to her; and he told her that this charity had pleased 
God so much, that his whole punishment in Purga¬ 
tory, which would otherwise have lasted for 5^ears, had 
been remitted to him.—Count Hyacinth of St. Florent 
was executed during the French revolution. His 
sister Herniania was so embittered against his enemies, 
that she refused the sacraments and mourned exces¬ 
sively for her brother. On the fifteenth anniversary 
of his death he appeared to his sister, and complained 
of her heartlessness, whereas he had so tenderly loved 
her in life. “Your tears and despair,” he said, “do not 
help me. I yearn for your prayer, that it may help 
me to atone for my faults.” Herniania deplored her 
mistake, and for the first time offered up a prayer for 
the murderers of her brother that God might have 


154 


Chapter III. 


mercy on him. vShe then continued in works of char¬ 
ity and mercy for twenty-five 3’ears, and at her death 
her brother appeared to her in heavenl}’’ splendor.— 
The chronicles of the convent of St. Tendon relate 
that one of the monks, who died about the 3^ear 1250, 
was released from Purgatory by the patient suffering 
of a woman who meekly bore the harsh treatment of 
her husband.—And who can estimate how many Suf¬ 
fering Souls were released by the self-denials of so 
many saints, for instance St. Augustine, St. Thomas 
Aquinas, St. Malachy, St. Patrick, St. Bridget, St. 
Lidwina, St. Elisabeth, and innum'erable others? 

Let us, then, fast not only by abstaining from 
bodil}^ food, but also in a spiritual sense, by mortify¬ 
ing our passions. Following the example of the 
saints, let us bear all our trials and sufferings with 
patience and resignation, offering them for the relief 
of the Suffering Souls. Let us sa}" as often as a mis¬ 
fortune or adversity befalls us, “I will bear it patiently 
and offer it up for the release of my dear father, 
mother, brother, sister and other relatives, thereby to 
open to them the portals of paradise.” 

S 29. Alms-deeds Release4he Suffering Souls. 

137. We read in Holy Scripture: “Water quencheth 
a flaming fire, and alms resisteth sin.” (Eccli. iii. 
33.) And: “Lay out thy bread and thy wine upon 
the burial of a just man.” (Tob. iv. 18.) Does To¬ 
bias here instruct his son to remember the dead by 
feasting? Not at all; but according to Lyranus he 
taught him to feed the poor and to do' other works of 
mercy at the death of the just, for he said to him, 
“Prayer is good with fasting and alms, more than to 


On tlie Hleans of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 155 

lay up treasures of gold; for alms delivereth from 
death, and the same is that which purges away sins 
and maketh to find mercy and life everlasting.” (Tob. 
XII. 8, 9.)—Pope Benedict VIII. after his death ap¬ 
peared to the bishop of Capua and said, “Know that I 
have died; and though I am in the state of grace, yet 
I am greatly tormented in Purgatory. Therefore I 
pray thee, tell my successor John to give alms to the 
poor, for then I shall be released from my insupport¬ 
able torments.” His request was fulfilled; and he* 
was soon released from Purgatory on account of the 
alms distributed for his sake. 

138. It is scarcely necessary to add, that alms given 
for the Suffering Souls help to atone for our own sins 
of extravagance, sins proceeding from the abuse of 
wealth ; and that this is almost the only way of attain¬ 
ing salvation for those who live in affluence. “If it 
were not possible,” observes St. Chrysostom, “to atone 
for our misdeeds by alms, we might have reason to 
complain and say, ‘Oh, how happ}^ we should be if 
the gates of heaven could be opened by money, if we 
could purchase the glory of the saints by means of our 
earthl}^ possessions !’ Now, my brother, this is very 
easy of accomplishment; therefore avail yourself of 
this privilege. Before you lose your wealth, hasten 
to place it at the disposal of the Suffering Souls, as 
the price of their eternal salvation. Perhaps you will 
lose it by the malice of man; perhaps your passions 
will consume it; at all events death will deprive you 
of it sooner or later : charity alone insures you against 
this misfortune and renders you its possessor forever. 
You will prevent the loss of your earthly possessions 
by consigning them to the tabernacles of God, where 


156 


Chapter III. 


you will enjoy them for all eternity along with the 
souls released by means of them.” Thus speaks the 
Holy Ghost in the Book of Tobias : “Give alms out of 
thy substance, and turn not away thy face from any 
poor person ; for so it shall come to pass that the face 
of the Lord shall not be turned from thee.” (Tob. 
IV. 7.)—Eusebius, duke of Sardinia, devoted the tenth 
part of his revenue to the relief of the Suffering Souls; 
his charity even went so far, that he gave to the poor 
the annual income of one of his cities, thereby to suc¬ 
cor the suffering spouses of Christ in Purgatory. 
Might we not follow his example by devoting to the 
same purpose part of the proceeds of a certain busi¬ 
ness undertaking, of the rent of a certain house, of 
the interest of certain out-standing capital ? 

139. We must remember that the surplus of our 
wealth does not belong to us, but to the poor; and 
that it is our bounden duty to make use of only so 
much of it as corresponds with our state of life. We 
must one day render a strict account of the use we 
have made of our possessions. But our Divine Savior 
does not claim a great part of our wealth and property. 
He does not strike us with sudden death like Ananias 
and Saphira, who secretly retained part of the pro¬ 
ceeds of their property. He is satisfied if we devote 
a small part of what we possess to relieve the Suf¬ 
fering Souls. It is His will that the wealthy who 
spend on superfluous articles of dress sums of money 
sufficient to relieve a great number of poor, should 
also do something to clothe the Suffering Souls; that 
is, they should aid these Souls to enter into eternal 
glory by relieving in their behalf the distress of the 
poor. The punishment of Purgatory is inflicted on 


On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 157 

many a soul who during its earthly life was want¬ 
ing in charity to the poor. Oh, let us therefore hasten 
to appease the wrath of God by charity ! By so doing 
we will gain the grateful friendship of those whom we 

have relieved in their suffering and ransomed from 

% 

their painful captivity. They will aid us in working 
out our own salvation. 

140. But alas, how small is the number of those 
who practically recognize alms-giving as one of the es¬ 
sential duties of a Christian!—Still there are some — 
devout Christians, mindful of the distress and misery 
of the Suffering Souls—who do not pride themselves 
merely in being persons of rank and wealth—no; but 
they consider themselves rather as being members of 
the mystical body of Christ, and as such, brethren of 
the Suffering Souls. Forsooth, how can a Christian 
enjoy true happiness as long as he is convinced that 
these just souls are suffering in a lake of fire? If he 
is not moved to compassion by this consideration, he 
is devoid of every human feeling, and acts contrary 
to the dictates of reason and religion. A man so re¬ 
gardless of a most sacred duty would be regarded as a 
bad citizen even by a pagan commonwealth; he would 
be despised for his meanness, hardness of heart and 
ignobility of character even by the votaries of the un¬ 
christian world: how must he then be regarded by 
the Church of Christ? As a monster unworthy the 
name of Christian, disgracing the faith he professes, 
the sacraments he receives, the holy temple he enters; 
for they are all symbols of Christian concord and char¬ 
ity.—In the next world, too, divine justice is meted 
out most rigorously to those who neglect the giving 
of alms for the relief of the Suffering Souls. “For 


158 


Chapter III. 


judgment without mercy to him that hath not done 
mercy.” (James ii. 13.) 

141. 'According to this declaration of the Holy 
Ghost, what kind of judgment must he expect, who 
from miserly greed permits the soul of a relative or 
benefactor to languish for months, years, perhaps for 
centuries in the horrible torments of Purgatory ? Such 
persons sometimes receive just retribution even in this 
world. Father Rosignoli relates that a splendid farm 
was ruined by a terrific storm, whilst the adjoining 
fields were spared. A soul from Purgatory there¬ 
upon declared in an apparition, that the owners had 
been thus visited in punishment for their ingratitude 
towards their deceased parents.—A soul appearing to 
a relative, thus addressed him: “Ungrateful nephew, 
you had no compassion for the soul of your uncle. 
Remember your promise, man with a heart harder 
than stone! In consequence of 3^our faithlessness I 
had to suffer indescribable torments in Purgatory. 
To-day I enter into the bliss of the saints; but you 
shall die, and in retribution for your neglect the whole 
time I still owe shall be added to your term of suffer¬ 
ing.” A few days later the man died, and went to 
receive his sentence at the tribunal of God. 

142. Not only the wealthy, but also the poor are 
able to give alms, if they only have the good will. 
The angels sang at the birth of our Savior, “On earth 
peace to men of good will.” (Luke ii. 14.) Hence 
many good Catholics combine and unite their savings 
for the purpose of procuring Masses for the repose of 
the souls of the faithful departed. And in order to 
assist these souls the more effectually, they direct 
their efforts also to the conversion of non-Catholics, 


On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 151 ) 

ill the hope that thereby the prayers for the relief of 
the Suffering Souls may be increased more and more. 
They have not the mission to preach the Gospel to 
the heathen and unbeliever, but they pray for the Suf¬ 
fering Souls ; they contribute something every month 
to assist poor students preparing for the priesthood, 
or for the support of Catholic schools or missionaries, 
poor churches, orphan asylums and protectories, etc. 
—all this for the purpose that the Catholic Church 
ma}^ become known to and loved by all nations. By 
the prayers of these charitable souls our Lord is im¬ 
plored to show nierc}^ to the captives in Purgatory, to 
release them speedily, to bless the efforts of the mis¬ 
sionaries, to grant the grace of conversion to all unbe¬ 
lievers, and to protect all the members of their union. 
Their motto is, “All for the greater glory of God 
and of His saints, and for the relief of the Suffering 
Souls.” 

143. God often rewards even in this world these 
efforts for the relief of the Suffering Souls, and gives 
a hundred-fold increase to these little alms-deeds.— 
The Rev. Father James Montford, of the Society of 
Jesus, born in England in 1605, wrote a remarkable 
work on Purgatory. In this work the author men¬ 
tions that the following incident was revealed to him 
in a letter written by William Friesen, a printer of 
Cologne : “On a certain holyday, when my place of 
business was closed, I was occupying myself in read¬ 
ing the manuscript of your book on ‘The Souls in 
Purgatory,’ which yoil sent me to print. While ab¬ 
sorbed in the perusal of your work, a messenger came 
and told me that my youngest child, aged four years, 
showed the symptoms of a v^ery grave disease. The 


160 


Chapter III. 


child rapidly grew worse, aud the physicians at length 
declared that there was no hope for its recovery. The 
thought then occurred to me that I could save my 
child by making a vow to assist the Suffering Souls in 
Purgatory. Without delay I repaired to a chapel and 
with all fervor supplicated God to have pity on me; 
and I vowed that I would distribute gratuitously one 
hundred copies of the book that had awakened in me 
such a hearty sympathy for the Suffering Souls. I 
promised that I would give the books to ecclesiastics 
and religious, thereby to increase devotion to the Holy 
Souls. I acknowledge that I had hardly any hope. 
As soon as I returned to the house, I found the child 
much better. He asked for food, although for several 
days he had not been able to swallow anything but 
liquids. The next day he was perfectly well, got up 
and went out for a walk, and ate as if nothing had ever 
ailed him. Filled with gratitude I was anxious to 
fulfil my promise. I went to the College of the Jesuit 
Fathers and begged them to accept as many copies 
of the work as they pleased, and to distribute them 
among themselves and other communities and ecclesi¬ 
astics as they saw fit,, in order that my benefactors, 
the Suffering Souls, might be assisted by further 
prayers offered in their behalf. 

“Three weeks had not passed by, however, when 
another accident quite as serious befell me. My wife, 
on entering the house one day, was suddenly seized 
with a trembling in all her limbs. She was thrown 
to the ground and remained lying there insensible. 
Tittle by little the illness increased until she was de¬ 
prived of speech. Remedies seemed to be in vain. 
The malady at length assumed such aggravated pro- 


‘ On the A/cans of Relieving the Su ffering Souls. KU 

portions that everyone thought she had no chance 
whatever of recovery. The priest who assisted her 
had alread}" addressed words of consolation to me, ex¬ 
horting me to Christian resignation. I turned again 
with confidence to the souls in Purgatory, who had 
assisted me once before, and I went to the same 
church. There prostrate before the Blessed Sacra¬ 
ment I renewed my supplication with all the ardor 
with which affection for my family inspired me. This 
time I made a vow to distribute two hundred copies of 
the book, in order that a greater number of persons 
might be moved to intercede for the Suffering Souls. 
I besought those who had already been delivered from 
Purgatory to unite their prayers with mine on this 
occasion. After this prayer, as I was returning to the 
house, I saw my servants running tow’ards me. They 
told me with delight that my wife had undergone a 
great change for the better; that the delirium had 
ceased and that she had recovered her power of speech. 
I hurried in at once to assure myself of the fact: all 
was true. Very soon my wife was so perfectly recov¬ 
ered that she came with me to church to make an act 
of thanksgiving to God for all His mercies.—Your 
Reverence may confidently believe me: God is my 
witnevSS that all happened just as I have related it to 
you.” 

144. God does not so much regard the amount of 
alms given as He does the heart of the one who gives 
it. The poor widow in the Gospel (Luke xxi. 3.) was 
able to give only two mites; the good thief had nothing 
to give but the resolve of a true conversion. Yet both 
were acceptable to God.—Our charity must be com¬ 
mensurate with our means. “According to thy ability 

12* 


Chapter III. 


](>2 

be merciful. If thou have much, give abundantly: if 
thou have little, take care even so to bestow willingly 
a little.” (Tob. iv. 8, 9.) If this be our rule, our alms 
will be acceptable to God; the mite of the poor will 
be of greater value in His eyes than the abundancy of 
the rich. But the will alone is not sufficient when the 
means of helping the Poor Souls are at our command. 
“And if a brother or sister be naked, and want daily 
food, and one of you say to them : Go in peace, be you 

warmed and filled: yet give them not those things that 

« 

are necessary for the body, what shall it profit?” 
(James iii. 15, 16.) To ever}" such Christian St. Paul 
addresses the following words of exhortation: “Let 
him labor working with his hands the thing which is 
good, that he may have something to give to him that 
suffereth need.” (Ephes. iv. 28.) 

Good Christians feel within themselves an ardent 
desire to relieve the suffering of the Poor Souls ; and 
therefore they will do all in their power to satisfy this 
desire. They often make the greatest .sacrifices for 
this purpose; and if they find it impossible to give 
material aid, they at least devote a part of their time 
and labor to this praiseworthy object. This can be 
done for instance by exhorting others to this work of 
suffrage. And the number of tho.se who offer to God 
all their labors, sufferings and good works for a more 
speedy relief of the Suffering Souls is by no means small. 

145. Charity sometimes impels a man to endanger 
his life for the benefit of his fellow-man. The same 
may be done to promote the spiritual life of our fellow- 
men. St. Catherine of Siena implored God to permit 
the soul of her father to enter heaven without under¬ 
going the punishment of Purgatory. When the 


On the ^feans of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 


1(18 


Supreme Judge declared to her that it was indispens¬ 
ably necessary that His Justice should be satisfied, she 
offered to bear the full rigor of her father’s punishment. 
Her.offer was accepted; and thenceforth her life was 
one of continued suffering and trial.—Yet, so many per¬ 
sons think that a small sacrifice, a prayer of some 
months’ or years’ duration, a suffering patiently borne, 
the Holy Sacrifice offered, up once in a while during 
the year, should suffice to release their dear ones from 
Purgatory. St. Catherine of Genoa says of herself, 
that she was permitted to suffer the torments of Pur¬ 
gatory for the space of two years—to suffer so much of 
these torments as it is possible for any mortal to en¬ 
dure. It ma}^ not be possible for us to do this. But 
if we only have the good will, we certainly can devote 
some time to prayer for the relief of the Holy Souls; 
or we can do something for the house of God, for the 
poor, etc., in this intention. This will be a most accept¬ 
able alms in aid of the Suffering Souls, and a consola¬ 
tion for them and us. 

146. A soul from Purgatory revealed the following 
to St. Margaret of Cortona : “ Did men but know from 
what great torments charity towards the poor delivers 
us, and what great treasure is contained therein, they 
would give everything they possess to the poor and for 
pious purposes to gain our pra5^ers.” For this reason 
we often witness that zealous Christians bequeath part 
or all of their estate to religious institutions, corpora¬ 
tions, and for other pious purposes. St. Theresa re¬ 
lates that a benefactor of her convent was delivered 
from Purgatory on account of his liberality. The Ford 
said to her: “My daughter, his .salvation was in great 
danger; but he found favor with me in return for the 


1 G 4 


Chapter III. 


magnanimous donation he made to you. But his soul 
will not be released from Purgator}^ until after the first 
Mass shall have been celebrated in the new convent.” 
At the communion of this Mass the saint saw the soul 
of her benefactor gloriously entering heaven. 

147. Others are filled with such compassion for 
the Suffering Souls, that they are not content with 
praying for them once in a while, but coiivSecrate them¬ 
selves entirely and unreservedly to God’s service for 
this purpose, either retiring to a convent or devoting 
themselves to missionary labors. Between 1850 and 
i860 a religious congregation of women was founded, 
called the “ Helpers of the Holy Souls.” Their object 
is to pray, suffer and labor for the souls in Purgatory. 
On rising in the morning their first aspiration is, “ My 
Jesus, mercy ! ” Thus they gain alread}^ at early dawn 
an indulgence of one hundred daj^s for the Suffering 
Souls. They repeat this ejaculation every time they 
make a genuflection before the Blessed Sacrament, 
and, interiorly, whenever one member meets another. 
They end all their prayers with the words, “ Eternal 
rest grant to them, O Lord, and let eternal light shine 
upon them,” which ejaculation they repeat on many 
other occasions. When the clock strikes the hour, 
they say, ” O God, we offer to Thee for the relief of the 
souls in Purgatory all the acts of love by which the 
Sacred Heart of Jesus glorified Thee at this hour dur¬ 
ing His sojourn on earth.” Every day they recite the 
Office of the Dead, and after Mass they sing the De 
proftmdis. All their religious exercises are offered up 
for the souls in Purgator}^ 

Another religious congregation devoted to the in¬ 
terest of the Church militant and the Church suffering 


Ov the Means of Relieving the Su ffering Souls. IGo 

is that of the missionaries of the Most Precious Blood 
of our Lord, well known in Europe and America. In 
the United States of North America this Congregation 
numbers about one thpusand members, eighty-five of 

whom are priests. Its members are divided into 

% 

three classes—Priests, Lay-brothers and Sisters. In 
their convents, of which there are about twelve, the 
Sisters practice the Perpetual Adoration of the Most 
Precious Blood for the relief of the Suffering Souls. 
There is no hour of the day when these good religious do 
not invoke divine mercy. When they meet they salute 
one another, saying : “ Praise be to Jesus Christ! ” and 
apply to the Suffering Souls the indulgence granted 
for this aspiration. The Sisters receive holy com¬ 
munion every day, except on the day of their confes¬ 
sion, and on extraordinary occasions even then. The 
Brothers of this Congregation receive holy communion 
four times a week, and on all intervening feasts. The 
whole community labors and prays for the relief of the 
Suffering Souls, for the propagation of the faith, for the 
welfare of the Church and in honor of the Most Pre¬ 
cious Blood. Before retiring for the night the mem¬ 
bers recite for the faithful the psalm De profundis 
together with the prayer of the Church that follows it. 
During the night they relieve one another from hour 
to hour in praying before the Blessed Sacrament. Thus 
do these religious, as well as the members of some 
other Orders, devote their lives to God for the benefit 
of the Suffering Souls. 

148. To remove a scandal, to repair an injury, to 
pay debts, in a word to make good whatever the de¬ 
parted souls failed to settle before leaving this world— 
all of these are most meritorious works by which the 


106 


Chapter 111. 


punishment of Purgatory may be softened and abbre¬ 
viated.—To the Venerable Dominic of Jesus-Mary 
there appeared the soul of an artist who had to suffer 
for an immoral picture, until it^was destroyed by the 
agency of Dominic.—The soul of a citizen of Pam- 
peluna appeared to the Venerable Frances of the 
Blessed Sacrament after being released through her 
efforts from a debt not yet paid at the time of his 
death.—The Venerable Servant of God, Brother John 
de Via, a Franciscan, was admitted to heaven only after 
his brethren had recited the offices which he had omit¬ 
ted during life.—Pope Benedict XIII. relates that a 
husband appeared to his wife, thanking her for paying 
his debts and saying, “ May God reward 3^ou for your 
charity. I was in bonds and torments until you paid 
what I owed.”—A curate in Baden had an apparition 
in which he saw the soul of the parish priest burning 
in Purgator}'; and he was informed that to release the 
soul from its punishment it would be necessary" to 
satify the obligation of sa3dng thirty-five Masses, for 
which the priest had received the customary stipend 
without having had time before his death to say the 
Masses. The curate said the Masses, and the soul 
appeared to him no m'ore. 

149. In consequence of these and similar appari¬ 
tions it came to be believed that the souls are detained 
in Purgator3^ until restoration is made of their unjust 
gains, or the scandal given by them is repaired. Re¬ 
garding this belief it must be remembered that by 
incurring such a guilt man commits sin, whereby he 
renders himself liable to punishment. This punish¬ 
ment, to be endured in this w^orld or the next, is pro¬ 
portioned to the guilt incurred. As soon as divine 


On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 1G7 

justice is appeased by means of the punishment en¬ 
dured, the soul is admitted to heaven; there is nothing 
to debar it. It may be that the goods unjustly acquired 
have not been restored, or the .scandal given has not 
yet been repaired ; but the soul is no longer able to 
mix in temporal concerns; therefore, the guilt incurred 
being atoned for, there is no longer any obstacle to its 
admission to heaven. The time of atonement, how¬ 
ever, can be shortened by the vicarious discharge of 
such liabilities. Hence Benedict XIII. remarks : “It 
must by no means be inferred that souls, whose debts 
remain unpaid, will be detained in Purgatory until 
the debts are paid for them; but only that they aie 
released more speedily b}^ the adjustment of their 
liabilities through the charity of the living.” 

§ 30.' Offering Holy Communion for the Suffering Souls is 

Most Beneficial to Them. 

150. We read in the Book of E.sther that Aman 
had planned the destruction of the entire Jewish peo¬ 
ple. Queen Esther bethought herself of a means to 
placate the king and to save her people. “And on the 
third day Esther put on her royal apparel and stood in 
the inner court of the king’s house, over against the 
king’s hall. Now he sat upon the throne in the hall of 
the palace, over against the door of the house. And 
when he saw Esther the queen standing, she pleased 
his eyes, and he held out toward her the golden scepter 
which he held in his hand. And she drew near and 
kissed the top of the scepter. And the king .said: 
What wilt thou. Queen Esther? what is thy request? 
If thou shouldst even ask one-half of the kingdom, it 


168 


Chapter III. 


shall be given thee. And Ksther answered : If I have 
found favor in thy sight, O king, and if it please the 
king to give me my life for which I ask, and my peo¬ 
ple for which I request.” (Ksth. vii. 30 She then 
recounted to the king the danger which threatened her 
people, the Jews, and implored his help, which was 
granted at once. The same may be done by every 
compassionate soul for the souls in Purgator^^ When 
the Christian, with sentiments of profound humility 
and ardent devotion, approaches the Lord’s table, there 
to renew the divine espousal by receiving Jesus in the 
Most Hol}^ Eucharist—then is his most favorable 
opportunity to appease His justice and to come to the 
aid of the vSuffering Souls. It is almost impossible that 
our Lord in holy communion should refuse our peti¬ 
tions for the Sufferers in Purgator3^ 

151. A pious couple at Straubing, Bavaria, pro¬ 
posed to receive holy communion together on a certain 
vSunday and to offer it up for the souls in Purgator}^ 
Whilst they were talking over their pious resolve they 
heard a knock at the door, and a pitiful voice cried 
out, vSaying: “Remember me at the banquet.” It was 
a soul from Purgatorj^ who thus begged a share in the 
spiritual profit of holy communion. St. Gertrude 
experienced great happiness in being able to release 
so many souls from Purgatory; but her happiness 
was at its greatest height on communion days. One 
day she asked our Lord for the reason. He replied, 
“It is unseemly that I should refuse your prayer for 
the souls in Purgatory on those da^^s when yon are 
espoused to Me in communion.” 

Can you doubt, Christian soul, that the frequent 
and worthy reception of holy communion is a most 


On the JMeans of Relieving the Suffering Souls. IGO 

excellent means wliereb}' you can pa}^ off all your own 
indebtedness, and that thereby you can also most 
efifectually help the Suffering Souls? Take heed, 
however, to obsen/e that we do not refer merely to 
frequent communion, but to frequent communion after 
a good preparation. Beware of deceiving yourself; 
there is an immense difference between the two. 

152. By frequent communion is understood its 
reception three or four times a week, or even every 
day, or nearly every da)^ The receiving of holy com¬ 
munion on all Sundays and feasts of obligation, recom¬ 
mended by the Council of Trent to all the faithful, 
cannot be called frequent communion when reference 
is made to priests, religious, seminarians and such as 
devote themselves zealously to perfection ; but regard¬ 
ing those who can devote onl}^ a small part of their 
time to exercises of piety, it is regarded as frequent 
communion. On the other hand, the custom of receiv¬ 
ing holy communion every month, and on all the 
higher feasts, is not frequent communion. To be 
Christians, to remain united with God, we must receive 
holy communion. In this respect the soul is similar 
to the body. In order to live we must take food, but 
it is not the food that gives us life; it only nourishes 
the body, giving it that strength which we possess 
when we are in health. We eat not because we are 
strong, but to remain or become so. Now mark well: 
Holy communion is not a reward for holine.ss already 
acquired, but a means for acquiring it. Therefore 
the Council of Trent expressly declares that “the 
faithful ought to receive holy communion not only 
spiritually, but sacramentally, as often as they assist 
at Mass, in order that they may more abundantly 


170 


Chapter III. 


receive the fruit of this Holy Sacrifice.”—How dear 
to our Savior must those souls become who receive 
Him often and worthily in holy communion! And 
how numerous are the favors to be gained thereby for 
the benefit of the Suffering Souls! 

153. In Luxemburg, on the feast of All Saints, 
the departed Soul of a pious lady appeared to a devout 
girl to implore her aid. The girl was in the habit of 
receiving holy communion frequently, and as often as 
she did so this soul from Purgatory" accompanied her. 
When asked for the reason, the reply was, ‘‘Oh, you 
do not know what a torment it is to be separated from 
God! It is impossible to describe it. I feel myself 
drawn irresistibly to God, but I must remain separated 
from Him in punishment for my sins. This is so 
painful to me, that I scarcely feel the fire by which I 
am surrounded. To relieve the intensity of my tor¬ 
ments, God permitted me to come to this church to 
adore Him at least in His house on earth, until I shall 
be found worthy to possess Him in heaven.” She 
then ardently implored the girl to receive holy com¬ 
munion frequently, and to remember her every time. 
The girl did'so and was privileged after a time to see 
this soul, resplendent as the sun, entering heaven. 

154. When St. John the Baptist, “greater than 
whom none hath risen among them that are born 
of woman,” was about to baptize the same Divine 
Savior \yho is present in the Blessed Sacrament, he 
trembled and said, “I ought to be baptized by Thee, 
and comest Thou to me?” (Matth. iii. 13.) After 
the miraculous draught of fishes Peter deemed himself 
unworthy of the presence of our Lord, and exclaimed, 
“Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord !” 


On ihe Means of Relievhig the Suffer big Souls. 171 

(Luke V. 8.) The centurion imploring our Lord to 
heal his sick servant, said, “Lord, I am not worthy 
that Thou shouldst enter under my roof: but only say 
the word, and my servant shall be healed.” (Matth. 
VIII. 8 .)—And we, poor sinners, should we deem our¬ 
selves worthy of receiving in our heart this Supreme 
Lord of heaven and earth ? But though we are in¬ 
finitely more unworthy than St. John, who dared not 
touch Him, than St. Peter, who deemed himself 
unworthy of His presence, than the centurion, who 
trembled to receive Him under his roof—it is never¬ 
theless our Savior’s desire that we should receive Him, 
and often too, in holy communion. It is entirely 
within our power to attain that sanctity which He re¬ 
quires for the reception of holy communion : the state 
of grace, together with the sincere will to avoid sin 
and to serve God faithfully. “Mortal sin alone,” says 
St. Thomas, “is an obstacle to the reception of holy 
communion.” And Suarez remarks, “It is not taught 
by a single holy Prather that it is necessary to be in the 
state of perfection in order to receive holy communion 
worthily and with profit.” Most assuredly we must 
strive to receive our God, the most pure and the most 
holy, as worthily as possible; and therefore we must 
prepare ourselves with the utmost zeal and conscien¬ 
tiousness for the reception of this sacrament. Hence 
St. Bernard observes, “Take notice how prudent the 
serpent is. Before drinking it relieves itself of all 
poison. Follow its example : before you come to the 
fountain of life, that is, before you approach to be 
nourished with the flesh and blood of our Lord Jesus 
Christ, relieve yourself from all venom of sin, espe¬ 
cially of hatred, anger, envy, lust and sinful thoughts.” 


172 


Chapter III. 


—Favored souls, after receiving holy communion for 
the relief of the souls in Purgatory, often beheld these 
happy spouses of Christ go forth into glory. 

155. St. Bonaventure observes : “Let charit}^ and 
compassion for your neighbors urge you on to ap¬ 
proach the sacred table; for nothing is so effectual as 
holy communion to obtain relief for the Suffering 
Souls.” Our propensity to sin ought not to deter us 
from partaking of this sacred banquet, which is the 
true preservative against Purgatory. If we have the 
misfortune of often falling into sin, let us frequently 
take the strongest antidote against this deadly venom ; 
that is, let us often approach the holy table to obtain 
favors for the Suffering Souls. St. Augustine re¬ 
marks, “You sin daily; then receive holy communion 
daily.” The Suffering Souls are famished with desire 
for holy communion, and by receiving it for them we 
can refresh them, as the following example will show. 

The Venerable Louis Blosius, this pious and 
learned writer, relates the following: A servant of 
God was favored with the apparition of a soul en¬ 
veloped in flames and suffering great torments for 
lukewarmness at the reception of holy communion. 
These soul addressed the servant of God as follows: 
“I beseech 3^011 for the sake of the love we bore to 
each other, to have the charity to receive holy com¬ 
munion once in my favor; but do it with devout 
preparation and great fervor. For then I confidently 
hope to be released from the terrible torments to 
which I was sentenced because of my tepidity towards 
the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist.” The 
.saintly man complied with this request, and soon after 


On the Means oj Relieving the Suffering Souls. I TH 

saw the soul admitted to the beatific vision of the 
King of glory. 

156. According to the doctrine of the Council of 
Trent holy communion may be received in a two¬ 
fold manner; first, sacramentally, by receiving the 
sacred species in the Holy Kucharist; secondly, 
spiritually, by exciting in ourselves a true sorrow for 
our sins, and an ardent desire for holy communion, 
thus uniting ourselves in a spiritual manner with our 
Divine Savior. 

The holy Fathers say of the exercise of spiritual 

communion, that if well made, it will benefit our souls 

almost as much as sacramental communion. Hence 

we ought to be very solicitous to make the acts of 

spiritual communion often, particularly : 

a) When assisting at Mass at the communion of 

the priest.—If we are unable to assist at Mass, let us 

include ourselves at morning prayers in all the Masses 

of the whole world, and offer them up to God for His 

\ 

honor, at the same time communicating spiritually. 

d) When visiting the Blessed Sacrament. Had 
we been with the shepherds at Bethlehem, knowing 
that the child in the manger was our Infinite and Al¬ 
mighty God dwelling amongst us in poverty and low¬ 
liness, we would have fallen on our knees to adore our 
Ford and God. The same Redeemer who was laid in 
the manger is present day and night in the Blessed 
Sacrament enclosed in the tabernacle. Oh, let us not 
be remiss in visiting Him and receiving Him spirit¬ 
ually : we will thereby enrich ourselves and the Suffer¬ 
ing Souls with abundant grace, help and joy. 

c) In the evening, before retiring, we ought to 
examine our conscience, make an act of contrition for 


174 


Chapter III. 


our sins, and again excite in us the desire of receiving 
our Lord, recommending to His mercy the Suffering 
Souls. 

157. God Himself deigned to indicate to pious 
souls how pleasing the practice of spiritual communion 
is to Him. Appearing to the Venerable Joanna of the 
Cross, our Lord said to her, that as often as she made 
the act of spiritual communion. He favored her with 
grace similar to that she received in sacramental com¬ 
munion.—BleSvSed Angela was wont to sa}^, “I could 
not have borne the trials of life if my. confessor had 
not instructed me concerning spiritual communion.” 
She made the act of spiritual communion one hundred 
times every day.—Once, when St. Raymond celebrated 
Mass, and had proceeded as far as the communion, 
St. Catherine of Siena, who was present, felt an ardent 
desire of receiving the Holy Eucharist. And behold ! 
when St. Raymond broke the sacred host into three 
parts, the small particle, which the rubrics direct to be 
placed into the chalice, all of a sudden vanished to the 
great consternation of the holy man. He diligently 
sought for it, and not finding it, he was overcome with 
a great fear of having offended God. St. Catherine 
observing this informed him that she had miraculously 
received the missing particle in response to her ardent 
desire of receiving our Lord.—A pious religious, who 
on account of illness was not permitted to receive holy 
communion, begged so persistently that the Blessed 
Sacrament, enveloped in the corporate, might be placed 
on his breast, that it was finally done. This ardent 
desire so pleased our Lord, that He permitted the 
sacred host to penetrate to his heart, and the good 
religious thus received sacramental communion in a 
miraculous manner. 



On the Jlfeans of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 175 

Considering all this, should you not, Christian soul, 
often approach the holy table to receive worthily the 
flesh and blood of our Lord ? or at least should you not 
often make the acts of spiritual communion ? This is 
the will of God, the desire of the Church. By so doing 
you will greatly benefit your own soul and bring con¬ 
solation to the Sufferers in Purgatory. 

§ 31. The State of Grace is Necessary to Make Good 
Works Profitable to the Suffering Souls. 

158. What is necessary on the part of the Suffer¬ 
ing Souls to obtain the effects of our suffrages ?—The 
answer is easy. They are confirmed in grace and 
sanctity, and are at the same time united with the 
faithful on earth in faith and charity. As they still 
have to suffer temporal punishment which the}' can 
not mitigate or shorten by their own merits, they stand 
in need of the atoning works of the faithful on earth. 
If they receive no help from them, they must continue 
to suffer till the last farthing is paid. The disposition 
they showed during their life in this world exerts great 
influence on God in permitting them to experience 
the relief of vicarious atonement. Want of compas¬ 
sion and hardness of heart displease God. He punishes 
the Suffering Souls for this by depriving them of the 
works of atonement—the prayers, good works and 
Holy Masses—offered up for them by their brethren 
on earth. Thus teaches the learned Cajetan, and with 
him agree Thomas a Kempis, Hugh of St. Victor and 
other divines.—On the other hand, those Christians 
who mercifully and compassionately come to the relief 
of these suffering, yet most worthy souls, by perform- 


170 


Chapter III. 


ing for their benefit all kinds of good works, may rest 
assured that God is supremely pleased therewith; and 
He will permit such souls in their turn, when in Pur¬ 
gatory, to receive speedily the benefit of the good 
works performed for them by the members of the 
Church militant. This we know from many private 
revelations. Sister Frances of the Blessed Sacrament 
was often visited by souls bringing tidings of others 
that were not permitted to appear to her. One day a 
deceased Sister asked her prayers for four others who 
were not permitted to leave Purgatory.—Another soul, 
in 1870, even refused to answer questions concerning 
certain deceased persons, because God did not per¬ 
mit it. 

159. On the part of the faithful the following con¬ 
ditions must be observed in order that their suffrages 
for the Suffering Souls may be accepted by God: 

d) They must have the intention of resigning the 
merits of their good works in favor of the Suffering 
Souls. The fruit accruing from our good works 
remains our property as long as we do not cede it to 
some other person. Our intention may specify a par¬ 
ticular soul to whom we desire to apply our suffrages. 
If the soul for which we supplicate is already in heaven 
or in hell, God will give the benefit of our intercession 
to some other soul according to the pleasure of His 
wisdom, mercy and justice. If the works of suffrage 
are offered for the relief of the Suffering Souls in gen¬ 
eral, the satisfactory fruit thereof is divided among 
them all. 

b') The work performed must be one of atone¬ 
ment. All good works are such; but they are not all 
equally valuable as atonement. Their atoning value 


On the Means of Relievitig the Suffermg Souls. 177 

depends either on the disposition of the person per¬ 
forming them ; or it may be inherent in the works 
themselves, as for instance Holy Mass, indulgences 
and the prayers of the Church. 

c) According to the unanimous doctrine of all 
theologians, the good works, to be effective, must be 
performed in the state of grace. Nevertheless there 
is no doubt that the atoning effect of such good works 
as possess atoning power of themselves, are of benefit 
to the Suffering Souls even though they be performed 
in the state of sin; such works are for instance Holy 
Mass, the personal or local plenary indulgence of a 
privileged altar, the prayers and blessings of the 
Church. 

The Suffering Souls receive no benefit of a good 
work performed in the state of sin, when the value of 
this work requires it to be performed in the state of 
grace. If in such a case the petition of a sinner is 
granted, this is not done because the work itself was 
worthy the favor, but solely and purely as a result of 
God’s mercy. But if the sinner acts as the minister of 
the Church, or in the name of one actually in the state 
of grace, then the good work has the same value that 
it would have if the one ordering it had done the work 
himself. Thus teaches the Angelic Doctor, St. Thomas. 

i6o. St. Chrysostom reminds us: “Of what bene¬ 
fit is your excessive weeping? Not tears, but good 
works aid the deceased.” Charity is inventive ; and, 
Christian soul, the true follower of Christ is all charity. 
Mindful of the departed, he therefore says, “ I will 
make good the deficiencies of the Suffering Souls.” 
But sometimes our excessive love for the deceased 
prevents us from using the right means at the proper 

13 * 


178 


Chapter III. 


time. We do not reflect on the condition of our own 
soul, we do not examine our state of conscience before 
God, but are only concerned at the sufferings of our 
brethren and friends. We perform our good works 
too hastily, without first offering to God an humble 
and contrite heart; and thereby we expose them to 
the danger of being rejected. God will not despise an 
humble and contrite heart. In the holy sacraments He 
has provided us with the means of acquiring such a dis¬ 
position of heart. True contrition and the firm resolu¬ 
tion of making use of this means will place us in a con¬ 
dition to render our good works and prayers accept¬ 
able to God. And if we receive the sacraments in 
this spirit, Jesus Himself will be our intercessor with 
His Heavenly Father. Hence the word of the elder 
Tobias are applicable also to us, ''hay out thy bread 
and thy wine upon the burial of a just man, and do not 
eat and drink thereof with the wicked.” (Tob. iv. i8.) 

i6i.‘ A dying father entreated his son to remem¬ 
ber him frequently after death. The son did so, pray¬ 
ing often and performing many other good works for 
him. But after thirty-three years his father appeared 
to him surrounded by flames and complained bitterly 
that he had neglected for so long a time to come to his 
relief. “Is it possible,” inquired the son in great con¬ 
sternation, “that all my prayers, alms, etc., have 
availed nothing for your relief ? ”—“ Know, my son,” 
replied his father, “ that all the good works you have 
hitherto performed were fruitless both for you and me, 
because you performed them in the state of mortal 
sin. Your confessions were null and void, because 
you had no true contrition for your sins. Our Lord 
in His mercy pemitted me to inform you of this for 


On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. ITt) 

* 

your own benefit and mine.” The son was converted, 
made a sincere and contrite confession, and was soon 
informed of the release of his father.—“A contrite and 
humbled heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise.” 
(Ps. L. 19.) “God resisteth the proud, but to the 
humble He giveth grace.” (I. Pet. v. 5.) 

^ 32. The Holy Sacrifice of Mass is the Most Powerful 
Means of Aiding the Suffering Souls. 

162. The Holy Sacrifice of Mass has always been 
considered by the Church to be the most effective 
means of releasing the souls of the faithful departed 
from their torments. “Although we are sinners,” 
says St. Cyrillus, “we nevertheless send up our sup¬ 
plications to God for the departed, not offering Him 
for instance a crown, but Jesus Christ Himself, who 
bled for our sins, and beseeching the bountiful and 
gracious God to be merciful to them and to us. We 
pray for all that have departed this life, because we 
confidently believe that the prayer at the altar will be 
most profitable to them.”—Although Holy Mass is 
the most powerful sacrifice of propitiation, it is to be 
feared that it is not sufficiently appreciated by the 
faithful. The truth of this remark is evidenced by the 
negligence of so many in frequently and devoutly 
assisting at Mass, and by the deplorable fact that so 
many Catholics are remiss in having Masses celebrated 
for their deceased. A great many count those hours 
that they spend in assisting at Mass as lost and un¬ 
profitable. Others excuse themselves with the want 
of means, saying they cannot afford to give the cus¬ 
tomary stipend for a Mass. If they would but reflect 


180 


Chapte7' III. 


on the real essence of the Most Holy Sacrifice and on 
the futility of their excuses, they would soon be con¬ 
vinced how grossly they deceive themselves. 

163. Death has entered our home and claimed a 
victim. A beloved father, a dear mother, an obedient 
son, a dutiful daughter, a near relative, a dear friend 
has departed this life after an illness of days, weeks, 
months or years. During this time we did our utmost 
to afford them every relief in our power. But now^ 
after they have departed this life, now, when they are 
suffering the indescribable torments of Purgatory, we 
.scarcely find time to pray for the repose of their souls. 
To spend a short time in the morning assisting at 
Mass for their benefit and to appeal to heaven for their 
relief and ransom, for our own benefit and the greater 
glory of God—for this we have no time! —Our dear 
ones are scarcely out of sight, and already we begin to 
forget them. We have time to speculate and labor for 
our advancement in this world, to promote our wel- 
ware, to add to our wealth, to enjo}" pleasures of every 
kind—but the souls of our departed dear ones are for¬ 
gotten for the very reason, because amid all these en¬ 
gagements we find no time to remember them in 
prayer and in the Holy Sacrifice.—No time for prayer? 
No time to show yourself a Christian? No time to 
assist at the august Sacrifice of Holy Mass?!—And 
yet there is no service of the Church more pleasing to 
our Divine Lord, no act more profitable to us and the 
Suffering Souls, than Holy Mass. All works.of piety 
and charity are profitable to us and valuable in the 
sight of God; nevertheless they are human acts, and 
therefore full of imperfections. Holy Mass however 
is not a human act, but a Divine Sacrifice offered by 


On the I\feaiis of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 181 

the great Highpriest Jesus Christ Himself to the Most 
Holy and Adorable Trinity. This Holy Sacrifice is 
the most efficient means of procuring the speedy 
release of the departed souls; and we, who claim to be 
Christians, have no time to assist at it ! 

164. Livius relates that in the year 360 before 
Christ an immense abyss opened in Rome. Ven¬ 
omous vapors ascended from it and soon caused a 
great mortality, so that the city was threatened with 
destruction. To save it a young patrician offered him¬ 
self in sacrifice. He bestrode his richly caparizoned 
steed and plunged into the mysterious depth which 
immediately closed over him.— A heathen sacrifices 
his life for his fellow-citizens—and Christians do not 
even find time to devote a half hour to the relief of 
their suffering brethren !—When St. Louis, king of 
France, was informed that some of his courtiers mur¬ 
mured because he spent so much time in assisting at 
Mass, he rejoined : “ If I should devote double the 
time to play and amusements, noJ)ody would say a 
word.”—Christian soul, can j^ou not devote as much 
time to Holy Mass as you do to play and amusements ? 
Do not excuse yourself with want of time. Blessed 
Thomas More, Lord Chancellor of England, was over¬ 
burdened with work, and yet he served at Mass every 
morning before entering on the duties of the day.— 
Our Lord promised to St. Gertrude, “At the hour of 
death I will send to everyone so many .saints to con¬ 
sole and assist him, as he devoutly heard Holy Masses 
during his life.”—And we dare to call it unprofitable 
to assist at Holy Mass? We have no time for this 
Divine Sacrifice ? Rather let us say we have no true 
conception of our holy religion, no compassion for 
the dead. 


182 


Chapter III. 


165. It is then greatly to be feared, that Holy 
Mass is not duly appreciated by a large number of 
the faithful, despite its being the most precious treas¬ 
ure in the world; and as a consequence this Holy 
Sacrifice is not offered up in suffrage for the departed 
as frequently as it should be. It is greatly to be de¬ 
plored that this treasure, by which we are able to 
quench the flames of Purgatory, is so to say hidden in 
the earth for many, and appreciated only by a few. 
Seemingly, poverty is the reason that so few Masses 
are offered for the faithful departed; but this excuse 
in many cases is a very flimsy one, for experience 
proves that it is not consonant with truth. Many of 
those who show great zeal in having Masses cele¬ 
brated for the faithful departed are less blessed with 
the goods of this world, than many that neglect to do 
so. Many also, who excuse themselves with poverty, 
spend more for useless, if not sinful extravagancies, 
than would be sufficient to have a Mass said often 
during the year. This is particularly the case at 
funerals, when a great sum is spent for vain display, 
whilst the soul of the departed is forgotten, and even 
the ministers of the Church whose services were en¬ 
gaged are defrauded under pretense of poverty. 

166. Another reason why so few Masses are or¬ 
dered for the deliverance of the faithful departed is to 
be found in the silence observed on this subject in 
sermons. It is not our affair, nor do we intend to 
criticize the action of zealous pastors. They well 
know that the world has little intelligence for things 
divine, and therefore accuses the ministers of God of 
selfishness when they refer zealously and frequently 
to the subject of having Masses celebrated for the 


On the Mea?is of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 


18 ;} 


dead. It is an old practice of the enemies of the 
Church to call the alms fixed by ecclesiastical law as a 
condition for gaining an indulgence a barter; and 
they do the same with regard to the stipend fixed for 
the celebration of a Mass according to one’s intention. 
To govern her actions the Church was never yet in 
need of the enemy’s counsel. As early as in the apos¬ 
tolic age she condemned the barter of things spiritual 
for things temporal. “Keep thy money to thyself to 
perish with thee,” said St. Peter to Simon Magus; and 
he gives the reason for this severe reproof in the 
following words, “For thou hast thought that the gift 
of God may be purchased with money.” (Acts viii. 
20.) The Church at all times condemned the practice 
of degrading her spiritual ministrations by even the 
semblance of venality. True, she permits her minis¬ 
ters to receive a fixed stipend for their spiritual mini¬ 
strations ; but at the same time she enjoins it on 
them most rigorously to abstain from all appearance 
of striving after worldly gain. The Council of Trent, 
renewing the former strict laws in this regard, - or¬ 
dains the following : “With regard to avarice, let the 
bishops forbid entirely every species of contract and 
stipulation concerning the obligation of Masses; also 
importunate and unseemly claims or rather exactions 
of alms and the like, savoring of the pest of simony or 
of sordid gain.” 

167. The strict injunctions of the Church, and 
the prejudices of a great number of the faithful, cause 
many zealous priests to observe silence concerning 
the obligation of having Masses celebrated for the 
deceased. They wish to avoid even the semblance of 
seeking their own profit, and therefore omit entirely 


]84 


Chapter III. 


the instructions that ought to be given on this impor¬ 
tant duty; for they speak of it but seldom or only in 
a general way. Praiseworthy as this may be in itself, 
it is a source of great spiritual damage to the faithful, 
living and dead. Hence zealous pastors do themselves, 
what they hesitate to recommend to their parishioners. 
They offer up for the faithful departed all the Masses 
not ordered for a particular intention. In 1869 a 
young priest accompanied his bishop to Rome. In a 
conversation the latter asked him whether in his daily 
Mass he also remembered the faithful departed in 
general and his friends in particular. The priest re¬ 
plied, “Certainly I remember my departed friends very 
often.” The saintly bishop continued, “I did the same 
when I was a young priest. Once I fell sick and be¬ 
came so dangerously ill, that my life was despaired of. 
I received the sacraments of the dying ; and whilst 
preparing for death, I reviewed 1115^ whole life with all 
its faults of commision and omission. I became aware 
how much I had still to atone for, and pondered how 
few Masses and prayers would be said for me after 
death. Since my recovery I have made it a practice to 
l:)e very assiduous in sajdng Masses for the Suffering 
Souls; and I rejoice every time I am able to do so.”— 
Christian soul, this is the disposition of every zealous 
priest; but many of them scruple at inviting the 
faithful to do what they themselves are so anxious 
to perform. 

168. On the one hand a pious priest is most re¬ 
luctant to exhort his people to an3dhing in which 
he might seem to strive for his own temporal interest; 
on the other he is convinced that very man}’- even 
among the more religiou.sly inclined regard him as 



On the Means of Relieving the Sujfering Souls. 


IS.") 


actuated by self-interest, every time he is obliged— 
and he can not escape the necessity of doing so at 
least now and then—to mention money matters. It is 
obvious that the Masses which the faithful are ex¬ 
horted to have said must be celebrated by a priest, 
and that he is entitled to the stipend. Hence there 
are many who imagine and even say that he speaks in 
his own interest, when he discourses on the benefits 
accruing to the Suffering Souls from the Holy Sacri¬ 
fice of Mass. In doing so they make themse ves 
guilty of a species of sacrilege; they impede the priest 
in the disharge of his duty as teacher of religion; they 
deprive the souls in Purgatory of relief and deliver¬ 
ance from their torments, and God of the glory and 
adoration which He would have received by their 
more speedy release. And, as a consequence of this 
want of charity, the pastors speak only in general on 
prayer for the Suffering Souls, and leave it to their 
hearers to dmw inferences according to the greater or 
less degree of their piety. 

169. Nevertheless there are also very good Chris¬ 
tians who regard this matter in the spirit of the 
Church. In 1885 a newly ordained priest was ap¬ 
pointed to the charge of Ph. in the State of Ohio. It 
was customary in this congregation to take up a col¬ 
lection on All Souls’ day for Masses to be celebrated 
for the faithful departed, and this was usually an¬ 
nounced on the preceding Sunday with an appropriate 
exhortation. The young priest, reluctant to make 
the announcement, omitted the customary exhorta¬ 
tion. A good old lady, fearing that the Suffering 
Souls would be deprived of the usual suffrages by the 
action of the priest, went to the sacristy after Mass, . 


Chapter III. 


18() 


and begged to remind him of the omission. “I think 
I discern your motive, your reverence,” she said. 
“You did not omit the exhortation from forgetfulness, 
but feared to scandalize the congregation. Now please 
do not let this consideration influence you. We know 
our religion better. A short exhortation will be of 
great benefit to the Suffering Souls. Therefore do 
not let your sense of propriety cause you to deprive 
the faithful departed of a speed}^ release.”—By this 
incident the priest was taught to regard in future 
rather the interests of religion than considerations 
of popular favor. 

O poor Suffering Souls! They that loved you in 
life might easily come to your aid ; but they neglect to 
do so either from want of knowledge or of faith. Poor 
Sufferers in Purgatory ! Your friends lavishly spend 
money on their mortal bodies, devoting themselves to 
pleasure and business, and excusing their heartless 
disregard of you with the flimsy declaration that your 
position can not be so very distressing, because they 
always knew you to be righteous during your mortal 
career. O love devoid of charity, how long and pain¬ 
fully will you permit your dear ones to suffer in Pur¬ 
gatory ? 

§ 33. Value and Importance of Holy Mass for the 
Release of the Suffering Souls. 

170. In our mortal state we are unable to com¬ 
prehend the torments of the Suffering Souls; but the 
time may come when we shall be taught their inten¬ 
sity by our own dreadful experience.—Hitherto we 
^ have heard the doctrine of the Church, of the holy 



On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 


187 


Fathers, and of theologians in general concerning Pur¬ 
gatory ; we have seen that many souls had to suffer 
long for a venial fault, and that even saints did not 
escape the purifying flames.—The Venerable Catherine 
Palluzzi continued for a long time to offer up with 
great solicitude all her good works for the repose of 
the soul of her deceased father. Finally she thought 
she might cease her supplications, when our Lord and 
St. Catherine appeared to her and conducted her to 
Purgatory, where to her great astonishment she be¬ 
held her father in the midst of a fiery lake, imploring 
her for help. She nearly fainted from compassion, and 
called on St. Catherine to aid him by her prayers. 
Then she turned to our Lord Himself, saying, “I be¬ 
seech Thee to impose my father’s debt on me. I am 
ready to bear whatever Thou wilt impose on me to 
make atonement in his stead.” In consequence of this 
^magnanimous offer her father was released immediately, 
but she had to undergo great sufferings. 

171. We firmly believe that our prayer, and still 
more the prayer and suffrages of the Blessed Virgin 
Mary and the saints bring relief to the Suffering Souls. 
But what is the prayer of heaven and earth compared 
with Holy Mass ? In prayer a creature intercedes 
for a creature; in Holy Mass Jesus Christ, eter^ 
nal God like His Father, makes intercession for 
us. Speaking of the value of this Holy Sacri¬ 
fice, St. Alphonsus Liguori says, “As the passion 
of our Lord Jesus Christ was more than sufficiently 
powerful to redeem the whole wo'rld, so also is one 
Holy Mass powerful enough to save it.” We have re¬ 
course to Holy Mass not for the purpose of renewing 
the redemption of the world, but to procure for the 


188 


Chapter III. 


souls confirmed in grace the treasures of redemption. 
This august Sacrifice is undoubtedly the most power¬ 
ful means to release the Holy Souls from their place 
of torment. This is solemnly declared by the Council 
of Trent, saying, “The oecumenical Council teaches 
that there is a Purgatory, and that the souls confined 
therein are assisted by the suffrages of the faithful, and 
especially by the Holy Sacrifice of the altar.”—St. Tho¬ 
mas Aquinas teaches, “There is no sacrifice by which 
souls are released from Purgatory, except the Holy 
Sacrifice of Mass.” 

172. By Holy Mass sufficient payment is offered 
to our Heavenly Father to cancel the indebtedness of 
the departed. Every soul in Purgatory is an elect 
child of God, confirmed in His grace and love ; for 
every one became reconciled to Him by contrition, con¬ 
fession and penance. But as they have not rendered 
sufficient satisfaction for all temporal punishments, 
they must suffer the penalty now. They incurred 
punishment by small daily offences and faults, and are 
detained in prison for the purpose of purification. Our 
Lord warns us to beware of this prison from which we 
/shall not,be released until we shall have paid the 
last farthing. A just judge will scarely release a pri¬ 
soner who is confined on account of debt merely be¬ 
cause he is implored to do so; but if the debt is can¬ 
celed by vicarious payment, he will free the prisoner. 
The Suffering Souls, beloved spouses of Christ, writh¬ 
ing in excruciating torments, are unable as yet to at¬ 
tend the wedding-feast already prepared for them, be¬ 
cause the infinite justice and holiness of God demand 
a ransom. In the Holy Sacrifice of Mass our Divine 
Savior offers Himself in ransom, and hence the holy 


On the Meajis of Relicvmg the Suffering Souls. 


189 


Fathers teach that “many souls go forth from Purga¬ 
tory ever}' time that Mass is celebrated.” 

173. St. Chrysostom says, “As often as Holy Mass 
is celebrated, the angels of heaven hasten to open the 
prison of Purgatory.” In this august Sacrifice the 
Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, this infinite treasure 
of satisfaction, is offered to the Heavenly Father for 
the living and the dead. The Suffering Souls them¬ 
selves have repeatedly given testimony of this. Thus 
we read that in the time of St. Bernard , a deceased 
religious of Clairveaux appeared to his brethren, 
thanking them for having released him from a long' 
Purgatory. When asked what had brought him the 
greatest relief in his torments, he pointed to the altars^ 
saying, “Behold, there are the weapons of divine grace 
by which I was released. There is shown the power 
of divine mercy—in the saving Sacrifice of the Victim 
that taketh away the sins of the world.”—Convinced 
of this truth the Venerable Cure d’ Ars one day ad¬ 
dressed his hearers as follows : “Dear children, you 
remember the occurrence which I related to you of a 
.saintly priest who prayed for a deceased friend. Very 
probably God revealed to him that his friend was suf¬ 
fering great torments in Purgatory. Knowing that 
there is nothing more effective to procure the repose 
of a soul than the celebration of Holy Mass, he pro¬ 
ceeded to do so as soon as possible. Before consecra¬ 
tion* he took the host into his hands and addressed 
God with childlike confidence thus: ‘Holy and 
Eternal Father, let us make an exchange. Thou dost 
hold captive the soul of my friend, and I have the 
power of changing this bread into the real Body of 
Thy Divine Son. Now, do Thou rdease my friend 


1<)() 


Chapter III. 


from Purgator}^ and I will make to Thee an offering of 
Thy Divine Son, with all the merits of His passion 
and death.’ And behold, after consecration, when 
elevating the sacred host, he saw the soul of his friend 
surrounded with glory entering heaven.” 

174. This saintly priest was well aware of the 
value of Holy Mass, this inestimable treasure of the 
Church, and acted most wisely in having recourse to 
this august Sacrifice rather than to other suffrages. 
St. Lawrence Justiniaui observes that one Holy Mass 
is to be deemed more valuable than all the penitential 
exercises of the whole world. He says, “Take the 
scales and place on one balance all the good works, 
viz. prayer, night-watches, fasting, alms-deeds, morti¬ 
fications, pilgrimages, etc., and on the other only a 
single Ma.ss, and you will find that the value of the 
one cannot be compared with that of the others ; for 
in Holy Mass He is offered in whom dwells bodily the 
plenitude of divinity, as St. Paul observes, w^ho pos¬ 
sesses an immense treasury of merit, and whose inter¬ 
cession is all-powerful.” The blood of Abel cried to 
heaven for vengeance, but the Blood of Chri.st cries for 
pardon. We have a type of this in the Old Law, 
where almost all the sacrifices w^ere offered in blood, 
as St. Paul says, “For if the blood of goats and oxen, 
and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkled, sanctify such as 
are defiled to the cleaning of the flesh, how much 
more so shall the Blood of Christ, who by the Holy 
Ghost offered Himself unspotted to God, cleanse our 
conscience from dead works, to serve the living God? 
And therefore He is the mediator of the New Testa¬ 
ment.” (Hebr. ix. 13, 14.) And the prophet Zacha- 
rias says, “Thou also, by the blood of Thy testament, 


On the /Ifeans of Relieving the Sujfering Souls. 101 

hast sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit.” (Zach. 
IX. 11 ) And in Holy Mass this Blood still releases 
the prisoners from Purgatory. 

175. Blessed Henry Suso made a compact with a 
brother priest that if one of them would die, the other 
should for a year say two masses a week for the de¬ 
ceased. When after a few years his friend died, Suso 
prayed most fervently for him every day, adding fasts 
and exercises of penance ; but it was impossible for 
him at the time to say the promised Masses. After 
some days the deceased appeared to him with a sor¬ 
rowful countenance and reprehended him sharply, 
saying, “Faithless friend, do you thus keep your pro¬ 
mise ?” Suso called his attention to the fervent prayer 
and numerous j>enitential works which he had offered 
up for him. The deceased replied, “Your prayer, 
though pleasing to God, is not powerful enough to re¬ 
lease me from my torments.” And striking the table 
before him with his hand, he cried out, “Blood ! Blood ! 
Blood is what we Suffering Souls stand in need of! 
The Blood of Jesus Christ which is offered up for us 
in Holy Mass is what will deliver us from our torments. 
If you had said the promised Masses I should already 
have been released from my fiery prison. It is your 
fault that I must still burn. Let me have the Masses, 
the Masses you have promised me !” 

176. Christian soul! Let this cry of the Suffering 
Souls for the Blood of Jesus find a willing ear with 
you. Hasten to come to their aid by means of the 
Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. If we could but see with 
our mortal eyes how profitable and valuable a ransom 
Holy Mass is for the Suffering Souls, we would not 
refuse to have this Adorable Sacrifice offered up for 


192 


Chapter III. 


their relief. But if you are not able to order a Mass 
for them, you can at least assist at Mass for this inten¬ 
tion and influence others to do the same.—Once, when 
a poor widow complained to a saintly priest that she 
was unable to have Masses said for her deceased 
husband, he counselled her as follows : “Then assist 
at as many Masses as you can, and offer them for the 
soul of your husband ; for he will find relief more 
speedily by having many Masses heard for him, than 
by having only a few offered up for the same inten¬ 
tion.”—This is a great consolation ; for though it is 
more to have a Mass said than to assist at one, it is 
nevertheless a special comfort for the Suffering Souls 
if we offer up for them the Masses which we attend, 
and thus pour out upon them the Sacred Blood of 
Jesus. St. Jerome remarks on this subject, “The 
souls in Purgatory, for whom the priest celebrates 
Mass whilst the faithful offer up their prayers, are free 
from pain during the time Mass is said for them.” 

^ 34. Mass is the Renewal of the Sacrifice of the Cross 
for the Consolation of the Suffering Souls. 

177. • Holy Mass, celebrated with becoming faith 
and devotion, is the most sublime sacrifice, and nothing 
in the world can equal in value this service of God. 
In the New Testament we have only one sacrifice, 
namely that sacrifice which was offered by Christ on 
the cross for our redemption, the fruits of which 
are transmitted to us in Holy Mass. By His sacrifice 
on the cross Jesus Christ redeemed all mankind; by it 
everybody was made capable of participating in the 
merits of His passion and death, and of receiving the 


On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 


193 


grace thereby obtained for us. But how is this to be 
accomplished ? To rational beings whose perceptions 
depend on their senses, an external, visible action is 
most suited for this purpose; and therefore the Holy 
Sacrifice of Mass was instituted. In it the bloody 
Sacrifice of Jesus Christ is renewed in an unbloody 
manner ; in it Jesus Christ sacrifices Himself mysteri¬ 
ously. Whosoever is present at this sacrifice stands 
as it were beneath the cross of Christ; he is a witness 
of the sufferings and death of his Redeemer, and has 
full opportunity to participate in- the merits of Jesus, 
and to offer himself and his whole being for God’s 
greater glory in this world and in the next. 

178.' Holy Mass is essentially the same Sacrifice 
as that once offered on the cross. Hence the Council 
of Trent declares : “In this Divine Sacrifice of the 
Mass there is contained the same Christ who offered 
Himself on the cross in a bloody manner, the only 
difference being that in Mass He offers Himself in an 
unbloody manner.” If we had no other declaration 
but this it should suffice to remove all doubt. For we 
must receive as infallibly true whatever the Catholic 
Church teaches and proposes to our belief, and we are 
not allowed to contradict it in the least. To prove 
that Holy Mass is essentiall}^ the same Sacrifice as that 
of the cross, the Church adds the following declaration 
to the words quoted above: “For it is the same Victim, 
and the same Minister of sacrifice through the agency 
of the priest, who once offered the sacrifice on the 
altar of the cross; only the manner of sacrificing is 
different.”—This Sacrifice is not only a sacrifice of 
praise, but the Church regards it also as “a sacrifice of 
Propitiation for the living and the dead.” And hence 

14 * 


194 


Chapter III. 


she has at all times offered it also for the aid and 
consolation of the souls of the faithful departed. 

179. By the sin of our first parents our Heavenly 
Father was so greatl}^ offended, that the whole human 
race was sentenced to eternal perdition. The Son of 
God, knowing that onl)^ a victim of infinite merit could 
reconcile His Father, and moved by compassion for 
fallen mankind, resolved to offer Him such a victim. 
And this victim was no other than Himself.—Behold, 
O Christian soul, the love of j-our Redeemer! The 
Son of God offers Himself as a Sacrifice of propitiation 
to the Eternal Father, and the Father accepts this 
Sacrifice from the hands of His Son, who “humbled 
Himself, becoming obedient unto death, even to the 
death of the cross.” (Philip, ii. 8.) “He was offered 
because it was His own will.” (Isai. 1.111. 7.) In order 
to accomplish this sacrifice, the Son of God became 
man and died to prove His infinite love for us. He 
concealed His divinity by taking to Himself a human 
body, in which He suffered the ignominious death on 
the cross at the hands of His executioners. God per¬ 
mitted this and Jesus thus willed it for the sake of our 
redemption. He wdlled not the sin of those who 
clamored tor His death, but it was His will to die for 
us on the cross. The sins of His executioners did not 
in the least detract from the infinite value of the 
sacrifice of the divine Victim. “He was offered be¬ 
cause it w^as His own will.” 

180. God might have commissioned His priests to 
offer this sacrifice, as He commanded Abraham in the 
Old Law, “Take thy only begotten son Isaac whom 
thou loyest, and go into the land of vision, and there 
thou shalt offer him for an holocaust upon one of the 


On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 195 

mountains which I will show thee.” (Gen. xx. 2.) 
But He left it to His Divine Son to institute a ministry 
for the oblation of the unbloody sacrifice, and He did 
institute it at the Last Supper with the words, '‘Do 
this for a commemoration of me.” (Luke xxii. 19.) 
In the Holy Scripture Christ is called “a priest for¬ 
ever according to the order of Melchisedech.” (Ps. Cix. 
4.) From this it is evident that Christ, as “a priest for¬ 
ever,” is to offer the sacrifice not once, but repeatedly, 
“forever.” Once He was both the Victim and the 
Minister of the sacrifice on the cross through the 
instrumentality of His executioners ; but forever He 
is the Victim and the Minister of the sacrifice on the 
altar through the instrumentality of His priests. And 
this is done because it is His wall that the living and 
the dead should participate in His merits. 

181. To facilitate the offering of this Sacrifice He 
performed His greatest miracle : He hid both His 
divinity and humanity under the form of bread and 
wane, just as He had hidden His divinity by assuming 
a human body in which to suffer and to die. The first 
unbloody Sacrifice which Jesus offered in presence 
of His apostles at the Last Supper was not a mere 
type of the bloody Sacrifice which He accomplished 
next day on the cross, but it was the same Sacrifice; it 
was the same essence of His flesh and blood, of His 
divinity and humanity, only in a different form, under 
the appearance of bread and wine ; it was the institu¬ 
tion of the Sacrifice in the form in which it was to be 
offered to His Heaventy Father by the ministers of 
His Church until the end of time. 

It is well known that the propitiatory sacrifices of 
the Old Law were accompanied by repasts. These 


Chapter III. 


]i)6 

were intended to symbolize the participation of the 
people in the sacrifices offered, and to signify in an - 
impressive manner the reconciliation and renewal of 
friendship with God effected by means of the sacrifices. 
Our Divine Lord wished to retain this feature in His 
Sacrifice on the cross as well as in that of the altar. 
Hence He Himself partook of the Last Supper with 
His apostles and expressed His will that they should 
follow His example ; that is, they should permit the 
faithful to partake of the Sacrifice as they had partaken 
of it with Him. This He commanded them to do by 
the significant words* “Do this for a commemoration 
of me.” 

182. St. Augustine calls the Holy Sacrifice of 
Mass “the sacrament of love, the revelation of unity, 
the bond of most intimate friendship.” He remarks, 
“Christ was slain but once as the Victim of sacrifice, 
yet He is offered up for the people ever}- day in the 
sacrament or in Holy Mass.” And St. Cyprian de¬ 
clares, “The passion of Christ is the Sacrifice which 
we offer.” Thomas a Kempis says in the “Imitation 
of Christ.” “When saying Mass or assisting at it, this 
ought to seem to you so great, so new and joyful,-as if 
Christ had just on this very day descended into the 
virginal womb of Mary.to become man.”—O high 
dignity of Catholics, for whose salvation Christ every 
day renews His incarnation in a spiritual manner ! O 
great love for us poor sinners ! 

Not only for the living however, but also for the 
faithful departed does Christ grant His aid in Holy 
Mass. Though dissenters presume to deny this consol¬ 
ing truth, we are nevertheless assured of it by our infal¬ 
lible Church. Hence St. Chrysostom exclaims, no 


On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 197 

means do we celebrate the august mysteries of the 
altar in vain; and not in vain and without fruit are 
our prayers.” 

183. Convincing as are the testimonials of the 
Church, of the Councils and the holy Fathers concerning 
the doctrine that Holy Mass is the renewal of the 
Sacrifice of the cross on the altars of the New Faw, 
our Divine Savior does not confine Himself to their 
authority, but confirms this truth again and again by 
miracles. For our Savior is not compelled to retain 
the form in which it is His will to appear in Holy 
Mass. It sometimes happens that He lays aside the 
form of bread and appears in the form of a child, of a 
man, or of blood, in order thereby to confirm or propo- 
gate the true faith by a new miracle.—For the twelfth 
time during Fent had Charlemagne advanced with his 
army against the Saxons to conquer them and have 
them converted to the Christian faith. When Faster 
approached, he commanded his entire army to prepare 
with due devotion for the reception of the sacraments 
on that feast. In order to witness the Christian service, 
Wittekind, duke of Saxony, disguised himself as a 
beggar and secretly entered the enemy’s camp. He 
assisted at Mass, and was greatly impressed by the 
devotion of the Christian soldiers. He paid close 
attention to the celebrant, to whom all eyes were 
directed. At the consecration he saw to his great 
astonishment a most beautiful little child in the hands 
of the priest; and at the same moment he felt his heart 
moved by a joy never experienced before. He now 
kept his eyes on the priest; and he saw that at holy 
communion the priest presented such a child to every 
communicant. To his further astonishment he beheld 


198 


Chapter IIL 


the child coming to some with all the indications of joy, 
to others with great reluctance. Later he related his 
experience to Charlemagne and asked for an explana¬ 
tion. On receiving it he was so affected that he asked 
for baptism; and he took some priests with him to 
Saxony to convert the country. 

184. A celebrated historian, a Benedictine of Monte 
Cassino, relates a remarkable occurrance in the life of 
St. Gregory the Great. A noble Roman matron had 
from devotion taken upon herself the task of preparing 

the altar breads and of bringing them to Church on 

« 

Sundays. Once, when approaching with others to 
receive holy communion from the hands of the pope, 
she began to laugh just as he was about to give her 
the consecrated host with the words, “May the body 
of our Lord Jesus Christ preserve thy soul unto life 
everlasting.” The holy pontiff withdrew^ the sacred 
particle and placed it aside on the altar, where he 
stationed a deacon to guard it. After Mass the pope 
questioned the matron about her unseemly behavior. 
She replied that she had laughed because the pope had 
called the altar bread which she had baked herself the 
body of our Lord. The pope informed the assembled 
congregation of it, and exhorted the people to prayer. 
All present fell on their knees with him; and when he 
arose after some time and spread out the corporate in 
which the consecrated particle had been folded, his 
fingers were stained with blood miraculoUvSly exuding 
from it. The whole congregation thronged about him 
to view the miracle. Prayer was then resumed, and 
the sacred host resumed its former appearance. 

185. Now if God, for the sake of this mysterious 
Sacrifice, lifted the veil of unbelief from the souls of 


On the Meaiis of Relievmg the Suffering Souls. 190 

Wittekind and the Roman matron in so miraculous a 
manner, how much the more may we hope that He 
will disrupt the bonds of the Suffering Souls whom He 
loves so dearly ! For we have already learned that 
this Holy Sacrifice is offered up not only for the liv¬ 
ing, but also for the dead. Who is able to describe 
how the Suffering Souls yearn for this Holy Sacrifice? 
—St. Bernard relates that St. Malachy, archbishop of 
Armagh in Ireland, had celebrated Mass for a long 
time for his deceased sister. Finally he ceased to do 
so. After thirty days he one night heard his sister’s 
mournful voice telling him that she had waited for 
thirty days in the vestibule of the church for his help, 
but had received none. Then she appeared to him at 
the church door clothed in mourning. When he cele¬ 
brated Mass for her again, he saw her inside the 
church, but still wearing a dark dress. He continued 
to offer the Holy Sacrifice for her every day until he 
saw her going to heaven in great splendor in company 
with a great number of other released souls. 

§ 35. Holy Mass is Essentially a Propitiatory Sacrifice 

for the Faithful Departed. 

186. Christian artists have illustrated very beau¬ 
tifully an idea of the holy Fathers, representing the 

ft 

angels as gathering in golden vases the Most Precious 
Blood of Jesus Christ during its presence on the altar, 
and pouring it as a refreshing dew into the flames of 
Purgatory. By the power of this Blood numbers of 
souls are purified and then soar up into the realms of 
eternal bliss.—By His Precious Blood our Savior re¬ 
stored the honor of His Heavenly Father and brought 


200 


Chapter III, 


redemption and salvation to mankind. In virtue of 
His divinity it was of infinite value and atoned for our 
guilt, immense as it was. The bond of charit}^ sanc¬ 
tified in this Blood, now binds us more intimately to 
God than before. The souls in Purgatory are souls 
ransomed and purified in the Precious Blood of Jesus 
Christ and bearing the indelible mark of His grace, 
souls for whom the Supreme Judge has already pre¬ 
pared the immortal crown of victory. The whole 
mystic bod}^ of Christ, the Catholic Church in all her 
three branches, is quickened and penetrated, sanctified 
and kept united with God by the all-pervading, super¬ 
natural power of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus 
Christ. This Blood is still being shed ever}^ moment 
on the altars of the New Dispensation ; it is still being 
offered in Holy Mass for the benefit of both the living 
and the dead. Who, then, can doubt that the Suffer¬ 
ing Souls in Purgatory receive consolation from this 
sacred oblation ? 

187. The Holy Sacrifice of Mass is a propitiation 
and atonement, in virtue of its very nature and by the 
ordinance of Christ. The Council of Trent teaches: 
“The Sacrifice of the Mass and the Sacrifice of the 
Cross are one and the same Sacrifice, because in both 
the Minister offering and the Victim offered are the 
same; the manner of offering alone is different. 
Hence it is justly offered, according to the tradition of 
the apostles, not only for the sins, punishments, atone¬ 
ments and other needs of the living, but also for the 
departed in Christ who are not yet entirel}^ purified.” 
—In Holy Mass we celebrate the work of our redemp¬ 
tion : The Sacrifice of the-Mass is in truth the un¬ 
bloody renewal of the death of Christ; it is the repre- 


Oti the Bleans of Relieving the Sufferiiig Souls. 201 

sentation and continuance of His Sacrifice on the cross. 
The object of this Sacrifice therefore is to make us 
individually partakers of the various effects of the 
sacrificial death of Christ. This being its object, it 
must of necessity also make us sharers of the sin- 
destroying power of Christ’s death; that is, it must 
make us partakers of the atonement rendered for us 
by our Savior’s death on the cross. In other words, 
the Sacrifice of the Mass must be a Sacrifice of Pro¬ 
pitiation. The Holy Scripture frequently mentions, as 
being effects of the sacrificial death of Christ, the 
blotting out of sin, release from the curse of sin, de¬ 
struction of its bondage, and reconciliation with God. 
Moreover our Lord solemnly declared at the institu¬ 
tion of Holy Mass, that His Body would be given and 
His Blood shed “unto the remission of sins.” (Matth. 
XXVI. 28.) 

188. Concerning the sublimity of Holy Mass, St. 
Alphonsus Liguori says: “The work of our redemp¬ 
tion is renewed in every Mass; and this is done so 
effectually, that if Jesus had never died on the cross, 
the celebration of one Mass would have procured for 
the world the same benefits that were realized by the 
death of Jesus on the cross.” St. Augustine declares 
that we are not allowed to entertain the least doubt 
concerning the aid given by the'prayer of the Church 
and the Holy Sacrifice; and then he adds these words ; 
“This ordinance has been delivered to us by the 
Fathers, and it is observed to-day in the whole Church 
—that this Sacrifice be offered up for all those who 
have died in the communion of the Body and Blood of 
Christ, and whose souls are remembered during the 
oblation.”—St. Monica’s only wish at her 'death, her 


202 


Chapter III. 


only prayer was, that her sorts might remember her at 
the Lord’s altar. St. Augustine relates that prayers 
were said and the Holy Sacrifice was offered for her 
after her death. St. Cyrillus of Jerusalem calls Holy 
Mass a Sacrifice of Propitiation, and adds, “For the 
departed, even though they be sinners, (that is, even 
though they have died in venial sin), we offer our 
prayers to God. And not only our prayers do we offer 
for them, but we do infinitely more: we offer up 
Christ, the Victim for our sins, thereby to obtain from 
the God of mercy propitiation for ourselves and for 
them.” 

189. This propitiatory effect is inherent in the 
Sacrifice of the Mass itself; that is, it is produced 
in virtue of its celebration, without regard to the 
spiritual state of the celebrating priest, be he saint or 
sinner. If they, for whose benefit Mass is celebrated, 
are well disposed and capable of receiving its effects, 
they are sure of obtaining the fruit of atonement and 
release of punishment; and this is true, according to 
the doctrine of theologians, as regards both the living 
and the dead. Hence, to share in the effects of Holy 
Mass, the state of grace is necessary. For as long as 
a person is in the state of mortal sin and an enemy of 
God, he is not capable of receiving even the least 
remission of punishment. But the Suffering Souls are 
always in the highest degree capable of receiving the 
atoning effects of this Holy Sacrifice ; for they are 
elect children of God, possessing an inalienable right 
to heaven ; they are just and holy souls, loving noth¬ 
ing besides God, and are consumed by a most agoniz¬ 
ing thirst to be admitted to Plis beatific vision. God’s 


On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 203 

wisdom, justice and mercy ordain to what degree 
their sufferings shall be diminished or abbreviated. 

190. As a ^Sacrifice of Propitiation Holy Mass 
therefore has the power, and by the ordinance of 
Christ it is its object, infallibly and directly and in 
virtue of its own efl&cacy to efface temporal punish¬ 
ment of sin. That this effect does not detract from 
the value of the sacrifice of the cross, but that its in¬ 
finite power and efficacy is rather emphasized thereby, 
is obvious to everyone having a true comprehension 
of Catholic doctrine. The Church does not teach that 
by the sacrifice of Christ on the altar the treasure of 
redemption merited by His sacrifice on the cross is in¬ 
creased or receives new value, but that the unincr^as- 
able and inexhaustible price of redemption paid for us 
through the sacrifice of the cross is individually 
applied to us and made our own in Holy Mass. 
Christ’s treasury of grace ever remains the same; but 
this grace is distributed and applied to the souls of 
men in Holy Mass. And this will continue as long as 
there are souls, here and in the next world, capable 
and in need of salvation. Consequently the fruits of 
the Holy Sacrifice of Mass are in general the very 
same as those acquired by our Lord on the noble tree 
of the cross. What was merited on the cross for all 
mankind is intended to be made the property of the 
individual in Holy Mass ; it is therefore a continual 
Sacrifice of Propitiation. 

191. The Sacrifice of Mass possesses an infinite 
efficacy which can neither be increased nor diminished 
by man, because Jesus Christ is at the same time the 
Minister and the Victim of the Sacrifice. For this 


204 


Chapter III. 


reason it is a means of obtaining from God the most • 
sublime gifts, in general and in particular. If Mass is 
celebrated for the Suffering Souls,* there is no doubt 
that one Holy Sacrifice possesses of itself more power 
than is necCvSsary to release at once all souls detained 
in Purgatory, as the Council of Trent teaches: “The 
fruits of the bloody sacrifice on the cross are dis¬ 
tributed and received most profusel}^ through the 
unbloody Sacrifice of the Mass.” 

Can we be astonished, when reflecting on the pro¬ 
pitiatory powers of Holy Mass, that by it many souls 
are delivered at once from Purgatory? St. Nicholas 
of Tolentino saw a great number of Suffering Souls 
in a field, who all united in imploring him to celebrate 
Holy Mass for them. After having done so for eight 
days, it was revealed to him that the souls he had seen 
were all released.---St. Anthony of Padua relates: 
Blessed John of Alverina once offered the Holy Sacri¬ 
fice of the Mass on All Saints’ Day. At the consecra- 
tisn, while holding the sacred Body of our Lord in his 
hands, he ardently implored the Heavenly Father, by 
the Blood and the merits of His only Son, to release 
the Souls from Purgator^^; and behold! he saw a 
great number of these hol}^ souls, like sparks of fire 
escaping from a furnace, soaring up triumphantly to 
the heavenly kingdom. 

§ 36. Application of the Fruits of Holy Mass to the 
Suffering Souls in Purgatory. 

192. By His passion and death on the cross our 
Savior redeemed us from sin; and when He ascended 
into heaven. He left us the whole treasure of His 
merits and all the graces He had acquired for us. But 


On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 205 

these merits and graces must be applied to the in¬ 
dividual souls of men, if they are to be saved by 
Christ’s redemption. To make this application of our 
Savior’s merits and graces is the office of the Holy 
Ghost. It is the Holy Ghost who communicates do 
every individual soul, till the end of the world, the 
merits of Christ’s passion and death, thereby render¬ 
ing it susceptible and worthy of the redemption. Be¬ 
fore His death our Lord therefore said to His apostles : 
“It is expedient for you that I go : for if I go not, the 
Paraclete will not come to you; but if I go, I will 
send him to you.” (John xvi. 7.) To redeem us, to 
regain for us the grace lost by our first parents, to 
open for us once more the gates of heaven—to procure 
for us all these blessings, our Savior had to die but 
once. After this one sacrifice on the cross He could 
return to His Father who had sent Him. But not so 
the Holy Ghost. His work of sanctification is not 
completed by one single act; it must and will be car¬ 
ried on continually till the end of time. One genera¬ 
tion after another appears in this world; and of all 
these human beings there is not one born without the 
blight of original sin on the soul, not one who is free 
from the evil consequences of this sin. All these 
souls must share in Christ’s redemption by having 
His merits and graces applied to them, if they are to 
attain eternal salvation. Now it is the Holy Ghost 
who must render every one of these souls capable 
of participating in the merits and graces of the re¬ 
demption ; that is, He must sanctify every individual 
soul to make its salvation possible. The Holy Ghost 
is therefore called the Paraclete, that is, the Consoler; 
and this He is in a special manner for the Suffering 


206 ‘ Chapter III. 

Souls who, being sanctified, languish to enter their 
heavenly abode. 

193. The Most Precious Blood of our Lord Jesus 
Christ is the means by which the Holy Ghost applies 
to us the graces of the redemption. In the sacraments, 
that seven-fold stream of grace, the Precious Blood 
enlivens the Church, the mystical body of our Lord. 
Hence the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ, that Blood 
which was shed on the cross, and which is shed 
mysteriously in every Holy Mass, is the abode and 
treasury of the Holy Ghost. Among all the dis¬ 
pensations of grace for the direct sanctification of 
man, Holy Mass holds the first and most important 
place in consequence of its relation to the sacrifice 
of the cross. The sacrifice of the cross is the fountain¬ 
head of all grace, the general source of all spiritual 
aid; for in the sacrifice of the cross all blessings of re¬ 
demption have their origin, and from it all means 
of grace receive their power and efficacy. Now in 
Holy Mass this inexhaustible fountain of grace and 
salvation flowing from the sacrifice of the cross is 
transferred from the past to the present, from a dis¬ 
tance into our immediate presence. F'or this reason 
and from this view Holy Mass may be called the cher¬ 
ished abode of the Holy Ghost; it may be regarded 
as the source of the means of grace, namel}^ the sacra¬ 
ments and sacramentals, by which the sanctification 
of individuals is accomplished. Holy Mass can there¬ 
fore produce directly, or at least indirectly, all divine 
graces and blessings, not only for its minister, but also 
for those for whom it is offered. 

194. In its relation to us Holy Mass aims at our 
sanctification and salvation; hence it is a means of 


On the Means of Relievhig the Suffering Souls. 207 

grace, or rather the source of grace, by which the 
wealth of diviue blessings is transmitted to us. The 
grace flowing from Holy Mass is due principally to its 
character as a Sacrifice of Propitiation and Impetra- 
tion. According to the Council of Trent the pro- 
piatory effect of Holy Mass embraces “sins, punish¬ 
ment and atonement.” Christ offered Himself on the 
cross as a Sacrifice of propitiation and impetration for 
the redemption of the whole world. Before this sacri¬ 
fice there was no salvation; by it the price of ransom 
for the whole world was placed in the hands of the 
Heavenly Father. This reconciliation with God, ef¬ 
fected for all mankind, is applied individually to man 
in Holy Mass. This Sacrifice appeases the just wrath 
of God, it disarms ♦His avenging hand, and renders 
sinful man an object of divine favor and mercy. The 
effect of this propitiatory Sacrifice is to move God 
to condone, wholly or in part, the punishment in¬ 
curred by the person assisting at Mass, or for whom it 
is celebrated. This remission of punishment is gained 
in virtue of the vicarious satisfaction or payment made 
to God by Christ; for in Holy Mass the price of atone¬ 
ment and propitiation is continually paid anew to the 
Heavenly Father, and this for particular persons, that 
He might avert from them the punishment they have 
incurred, and favor them with increased mercy. Holy 
Mass therefore draws down upon man grace to en¬ 
lighten him, to impel him to turn to God in faith, 
hope, charity and contrition, and to receive worthily 
the holy sacraments, by which he is sanctified inte¬ 
riorly and becomes again a child of God. This is ex¬ 
pressed by the Council of Trent as follows : “Recon¬ 
ciled by the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of Mass, 


208 


Chapter III. 


our Lord imparts the grace of penance, and remits 
sins and vices, however great they may be.” And in 
the gospel of St. John we read of the Holy Ghost : 
“He shall glorify me : because He shall receive of 
mine, and shall shew it to you.” (John xvii. 14.) 
Accordingly the Holy Ghost imparts the redemption 
of Jesus Christ individually to man by leading him to 
share in it. 

195. Mortal sin is not blotted out directl}^ and im¬ 
mediately by Holy Mass; and according to the opin¬ 
ion of most theologians, even venial sin cannot thus 
be effaced. We have seen however that this august 
Sacrifice effects a disposition by which we are drawn 
to reconcilation with God; hence we say that it leads 
us mediately and indirectly to pgrdon. The guilt of 
mortal sin is removed from man only by the infusion 
or restoration of sanctifying grace. This grace of jus¬ 
tification, and consequently also the remission of mor¬ 
tal sin, is usually obtained, according to the ordination 
of God, only in the sacrament of Baptism, or by means 
of the sacrament of Penance, or by an act of per¬ 
fect contrition made with the desire of receiving the 
sacrament of Penance. The sacraments are instituted 
for the direct justification and sanctification of man, 
and serve to originate and confirm the supernatural 
life of the soul. On the other hand sacrifice, as such 
and in the first place, is a service of God. True, Holy 
Mass is also a means of salvation, but it was not insti¬ 
tuted primarily for the conferring of the grace of jus¬ 
tification ; hence it is not able of itself and without 
the help of some other means of grace to blot out and 
take away sin. And yet Holy Mass, according to the 


Oyi the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 209 

doctrine of the Church, is undoubtedly a means pro¬ 
ductive of atonement and remission of sin. 

196. Fallen mankind was fully redeemed by the 
death of Jesus Christ on the cross. Thereby it was 
made possible for every human being to be released 
from guilt; nevertheless every one must individually 
apply to himself the means instituted for his purifica¬ 
tion. In Holy Mass the propiatory sacrifice of the 
cross is renewed in favor of individual persons; but 
yet every one must for himself offer up his heart to 
God in contrition and charity. If, dCvSpite the graces 
we receive, we continue in our wicked life and do not 
abandon sin, we shall die in it; and therefore St. 
Augustine observes, “God, who created us without 
our help, will not save us against our will and without 
our co-operation.” This truth is illustrated by the 
crucifixion of Christ. We know that despite the tears 
and prayers of Christ on the cross but few of the many 
thousands of sinners present at His death were con¬ 
verted and said, striking their breasts, “Indeed this 
man was the Son of God.” (Mark xv. 39.) The rest 
remained obdurate and refused to avail themselves of 
the grace offered them. 

197. Judas was a witness of all the miracles per¬ 
formed by Jesus, he was one of His chosen apostles; 
and yet, like the malefactor who was crucified at the 
left of our Savior, he died in his wickedness. The 
Good Thief, also crucified with Jesus, died repentant 
and was received into paradise. In like manner the 
effect produced by Holy Mass is different according to 
the more or less worthy disposition of the person 
attending it. ' The better his disposition, the greater 
will be his share of the fruit and treasure derived from 

15 * 


210 


Chapter III. 


this Sacrifice. Hence it is necessary that they who 
assist at Mass do so in the proper spirit. Without our 
co-operation we will not experience the effects in¬ 
tended to be conferred by our Divine Savior in this 
Holy Sacrifice. In a word, the effect depends on the 
spiritual disposition of the person assisting at Mass, or 
for whom Mass is offered. Those well disposed re¬ 
ceive through this Sacrifice the grace to perceive and 
to be very sorry for their sins. A renowned spiritual 
writer says, “Holy Mass does not blot out sin, but 
excites contrition or a desire for contrition. This con¬ 
trition is sometimes excited at the very time when 
Mass is celebrated ; at other times it is granted later, 
yet as a result of this Holy Sacrifice. Thus it hap¬ 
pens that many are converted by a special grace of 
God without being aware that they owe it to the effi¬ 
cacy of Holy Mass. Sometimes sinners are not con¬ 
verted at all, because they refuse the grace of God, or 
abuse it instead of co operating with it.” 

198. What a consolation to know that our breth¬ 
ren 'deceased in the Lord are capable of receiving the 
atoning effects of Holy Mass! The Suffering Souls 
are in need of our help, because they have incurred 
temporal punishment, which they cannot mitigate or 
shorten by their own merit. But they are susceptible 
of our assistance, because they are in a state of grace, 
and are united with the faithful on earth in faith and 
charity. While Holy Mass is only an indirect means 
for the remission of sins, it is a direct means of obtain¬ 
ing remission of punishment, in virtue of the atone¬ 
ment made by Christ on the cross, whose merits are 
vicariously applied to us. For on Calvary “He hath 
borne our infirmities and carried our sorrows. He 


On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 211 

was wounded for our iniquities, He was bruised for 
our sins ; the chastisement of our peace was on Him.” 
(Isai. lyiii. 4. 5.) For our peace He suffered, averting 
from us the wrath of God. The merits of His passion 
and death are applied to us for the remission of our 
punishment. 

199. In the Suffering Souls God illustrates His 
justice and His mercy. Some theologians hold that 
the Suffering Souls all share in the fruits and suffrages 
of Holy Mass to the same degree; but the more pre¬ 
valent opinion is, that the souls in Purgatory share in 
the fruits of Holy Mass according to the degree of 
worthiness they attained or aimed at in life. The de¬ 
fenders of this opinion declare that the disposition of 
departed souls can well differ; that there are special 
virtues, for instance a profound reverence for the 
Church’s power of binding and loosing, great peniten¬ 
tial zeal, charity for our fellow-men, especially for the 
Suffering Souls, and particularly a great fervor in as¬ 
sisting at Mass and in receiving holy communion, by 
which we gain during life a special claim to speedy 
help after death and to a particularly abundant share 
of the general and special works of atonement per¬ 
formed by the Church militant. Souls who were in¬ 
sensible during life to the pitiful condition of the souls 
in Purgatory, will in their turn find no relief while 
suffering in this prison ; they will have to pay their 
indebtedness to the last farthing, and this even in case 
prayers and sacrifices are offered especially for them. 
For the acceptance of these suffrages in behalf of 
those for whom they are intended depends entirely on 
the will of the just God and St. Augustine remarks, 
‘‘Our suffrages for the deceased are not always dis- 


212 


Chapter III. 


tributed as we intend. Sometimes God makes the 
distribution quite differently, granting the merits 
of the good works which we perform for the departed 
to such of them as have deserved this privilege during 
life by their own charity for the Suffering Souls. 
‘For with what measure you mete, it shall be meas¬ 
ured to 3'ou again’.” 

200. As the state of the Suffering Souls always 
renders them capable of receiving the mercy of God, 
the Holy Sacrifice offered up for them is never in¬ 
effective ; but their disposition towards it during life 
will affect the measure of this mercy. The better we 
are disposed when assisting at Mass, the greater will 
be the fruit we derive from it; therefore we must pre¬ 
pare our souls, purifying them by penance, withdrawing 
ourselves from earthly things, and inflaming our hearts 
with a desire for heavenly things. The propitiatory 
effect of Holy Mass is rendered so much more potent 
for us and for the Suffering Souls, the more earnestly 
we endeavor by our own efforts to appease the wrath 
of God. That we may be impelled to make these 
efforts, let us remember that the justice of God is in¬ 
finite like His goodness and mercy ; let us consider 
how displeasing to God and how culpable even the 
least sin and sinful inclination is; let us contemplate 
the rigorous and enduring punishments of Purgatory: 
then we will be penetrated with a wholesome fear of 
God’s majesty and a dread of His just and holy judg¬ 
ments. We will gratefully and diligently make use of 
the gracious hour of the Holy Sacrifice to wash our 
garments in the Blood of the Divine Lamb ; and we 
will not fail to sprinkle with'the same Most Precious 
Blood the Suffering Souls in Purgatory. “Blessed are 
the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” (Matth. v. 7.) 


^ 071 the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 213 

201. Having such a powerful Sacrifice of propi¬ 
tiation, possessing in Hol^^ Mass the key of the treas¬ 
ury of the atoning merits of Jesus Christ—why should 
we permit the souls in Purgatory to continue to suffer? 
These souls must either undergo punishment sufficient 
to pay their indebtedness to divine justice, or the faith¬ 
ful must make vicarious payment by offering atoning 
merits for them till the last farthing is paid. These 
atoning merits are found superabundantly in Holy 
Mass. Segneri says very aptly, “The Sacrifice of the 
cross is the general source of the remission of sins; 
the Sacrifice of Holy Mass is a particular source, by 
w'hich the Holy Ghost directs the efficacy of the Blood 
of Christ to individual souls. The passion and death 
of Christ have accumulated the treasury^; in Holy 
Mass this treasury is distributed by the Holy Ghost. 
The death of Christ is a general treasury; Holy Mass 
is its key.” These are consoling words, addressed to 
all who are truly conscious of their miser}^ and weak¬ 
ness; they are a strong plea in favor of assisting dili¬ 
gently and devoutly at Mass. For when you assist at 
Mass, Christian soul, Christ gives you the key to His 
superabundant treasury ; He permits you to open it, 
and to take away as much as your devout disposition 
enables you to receive. This treasure you can then 
devote to the relief of your dear ones in Purgatory. 

Segneri continues, “Remark well, therefore, what 
• is meant by celebrating Mass or assisting at it. It 
means that Holy Mass causes God, who is the God of all, 
to die again for me and for you all while assisting at the 
august Sacrifice, and this in such a manner as if He 
was dying for every one separately.”—Thus does the 
Holy Ghost apply redemption and sanctification indi- 


214 


Chapter III. 


vidually to the living, and to such of the deceased as 
are not yet sufficiently pure to enter paradise. Thus 
does the Holy Ghost sanctify souls to make them 
capable of entering the abode of bliss, but only such 
souls as are desirous of co-operating with His grace. 

202. Catholics in general understand well the doc¬ 
trine concerning the disposition necessary for obtaining 
the fruits of the Holy Sacrifice of Mass; hence they 
strive to become worthy of them by fulfilling well the 
duties of their state of life, by avoiding sin, by frequent¬ 
ing the sacraments, by offering prayer and alms-deeds, 
by making novenas, etc. Knowing moreover that the 
Holy Sacrifice of Mass in virtue of its own efficacy, 
and prayer and other suffrages offered in the state of 
grace, never fail in their atonement for the souls in 
Purgatory, they do their utmost to come to the relief of 
these Holy Sufferers. 

§ 37. The Mass of Requiem. 

203. The loving solicitude of the Church for the 
relief of the Suffering Souls is demonstrated by the 
ancient ecclesiastical customs which have come down 
to us. Holy Mass was at all times her foremost 
means of relief. As observed before in the course of 
these treatises, the Holy Sacrifice is offered for the 
living and deceased members of the Church in general, 
and is also celebrated for certain souls in particular. 
For this latter purpose the Roman Missal has a special 
rite or manner of celebrating Mass. St. Thomas 
Aquinas observes, “The Church, even in very early 
times, prescribed certain proper Mass formulas for the 
various occasions on which she prays and offers .sacri¬ 
fice for the souls of the faithful departed, in order that 


On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls, 215 

the priest may make use of these formulas in Masses 
for the dead when no obstacle intervenes to prevent 
him from doing so. The objection is futile, that the 
fruit of the Mass is the same, whether the formula o^ 
Mass of the Blessed Virgin, or of the Holy Ghost, or 
that of Requiem be used : for true as it may be that the 
Holy Sacrifice, as" such and in virtue of its own effi¬ 
cacy, obtains the same fruit in such cases; neverthe¬ 
less the Mass of Requiem celebrated for the dead pro¬ 
duces—for them—a greater fruit, because in it prayers 
are added to the Holy Sacrifice which have for their 
special object the relief and ransom of the faithful de¬ 
parted, for which reason they obtain a special fruit.” 

204. By prayer we 'can obtain every grace from 
our Heavenly Father ; but no prayer, however fervent 
it may be, can obtain from God so sure and speedy 
a hearing as may be obtained through the Holy 
Sacrifice of the Mass. If we remember what has been 
said hitherto in these pages on the essence and value 
of Holy Mass, we will easily comprehend why Holy 
Mass is so effective a Sacrifice of impetration. In the 
Sacrifice of our altars Christ Himself implores His 
Heavenly Father with us for the fulness of all bless¬ 
ings. In Holy Mass Christ descends into the midst 
of His faithful, to unite the voice of His Blood, which 
cries to heaven more powerfully than the blood of 
x\bel, with the supplication of the Church of God on 
earth. And if God according to His promise grants 
us everthing we ask in the name of His dearly be¬ 
loved. Son, why should we not obtain all the gifts of 
His mercy through this Holy Sacrifice? Christ ob¬ 
tains everything He asks for us; His Will never 
remains unfulfilled. And when He—our merciful and 


216 


Chapter III. 


'faithful Highpriest, our true Paschal Lamb—is mys¬ 
teriously sacrificed on our altars : must we not believe 
that then, during those hours of grace, His interces¬ 
sion with God is all-powerful ? Hence St. Chrysostom 
aptly remarks: “The holy angels await the time of 
Holy Mass to intercede for us during it more effect¬ 
ually; and what we do not obtain during th^ time of 
Mass, we will scarcely receive at any other time.” St. 
Alphonsus Liguori says, “Consider that God hears 
the prayer of the priest more willingly during Holy 
Mass than at any other time. True, He imparts His 
grace at all times when asked in the name of and 
through the merits of Jesus Christ, but during the 
time of Mass He grants them much more willingly; 
for then our prayers are sustained and reinforced by 
the prayer of Jesus Christ, whereby they receive im¬ 
measurably greater efficacy, because Jesus Christ is 
the Highpriest who sacrifices Himself in order to ob¬ 
tain grace for us.” 

205. Hence the Church not only offers the Sacri¬ 
fice, but joins various prayers and ceremonies with 
this offering. Being the Spouse of Christ, the Church 
is always resplendent with sanctity. Therefore the 
Sacrifice, attended as it is with so many praj^ers and 
supplications, is graciously received from her hands 
by God and rewarded with abundant blessings. The 
entire sacrificial rite being performed in the name of 
the Church, it moves God most effectually to grant His 
favors to the living and the dead. For this reason the 
Church usually gives expression to our needs and de¬ 
sires in such a manner that we can easily discern wdiat 
kind of favors she intends to obtain by Holy Mass, 
and for whom she intends to obtain them. The rite 


On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 


217 


of the Mass of Requiem is so entirely and so exclusively 
adapted to the wants of the faithful departed, that 
prayers for the living are not allowed in it except in 
the Canon, which remains the same in all Masses. 
The liturgical prayers for the departed are productive 
of a special fruit which is added to the fruit essentially 
contained in the sacrifice ; and the whole is granted to 
the soul for whom the Mass is applied. The essential 
fruit of Holy Mass, which is inherent in it in virtue of 
its own efficacy, comes directly and solely from 
Christ’s oblation of Himself, and is therefore entirely 
independent from the formula of the Mass. 

206. According to St. Thomas a clearl}^ expressed 
sentiment pervades the Masses of Requiem, which also 
indicates the grace obtained thereb}^; and these Masses 
enjoy greater privileges than other votive Masses. 
The fundamental sentiment of Requiem Masses, in 
which all their peculiarities are embodied, is the 
ardent yearning of the Church to devote all her pray¬ 
ers and the full fruit of the Holy Sacrifice to the release 
of the Suffering Souls. Our affectionate Mother the 
Church makes intercession for her departed children: 
will God, our Father, repulse her whom He Himself 
gave us for our Mother through His Divine Son? 
This loving Mother imitates the example of our 
Divine Savior, who clothed the holy sacraments in 
visible signs for the purpose of letting us share in the 
graces of redemption. Do we not conduct water and 
other fluids to their destination b}^ means of pipes ? 
Break the conduit and the current will cease to flow: 
reject the visible signs of the holy sacraments and the 
means of grace will be denied to you. The rite of 
Requiem Masses is a form established by the Church 


218 


Chapter IIL 


to draw the grace of heaven down upon the souls in 
Purgatory. If the formula of Requiem Mass is not 
used, the value of the Sacrifice will by no means suffer 
diminution ; but the fruit of the Church’s supplication 
will be wanting. 

207. This being the chief sentiment of Requiem 
Masses, both priest and people join in them by pray¬ 
ing in the name of the Church. In this supplication 
lies the special fruit of these Masses. Their whole 
rite is adapted to the end that this supplication may 
be made from the depth of the heart, so that the Suffer¬ 
ing Souls may receive increased consolation also from 
the charity of the priest and of the faithful. Hence 
in Requiem Masses everything is omitted by which the 
benefits personally gained by those who assist at the 
Sacrifice are indicated: the water to be mixed with the 
wine is not blessed, nor is the blessing given to the 
people; deacon and subdeacon also receive no bless¬ 
ing. At the Introit the celebrant does not sign him¬ 
self with the cross, and incense is used onty at the 
Offertory. At the Gospel neither incense nor lighted 
candles are used ; the kissing of the book and the kiss 
of peace are omitted, also the prayer preceding the 
latter. At the Agmis Dei the Church supplicates for 
peace in the name of the deceased, for eternal peace. 
The psalm Judica, in which no reference is made to 
the departed, is omitted, as is also the Gloria Patri. 
But the Church gives full vent to her mourning and 
supplication in the touching strophes of the Dies irae. 
The Requiem aeter 7 iam^ etc., and the Offertory are 
always recited in the plural number, to indicate that 
the souls of all the faithful departed share in the gen¬ 
eral fruits of the Holy Sacrifice, although its .special 


Ou the Means of Relievhig the Suffering Souls, 219 

fruits are reserved for the souls for whom it is offered 
in particular. ' - 

Christian soul ! Cultivate a great esteem for these 
rites of the Church in the firm conviction that in all 
her beautiful ceremonies she is led by supernatural 
motives. 

§ 38. High Mass of Requiem. 

208. When the Holy Sacrifice is celebrated in the 
form of a High Mass, the fruit which comes to it by 
the prayers of the Church is increased. For the 
greater the solemnity with which the Church cele¬ 
brates Holy Mass for the glory of God, the more pleas¬ 
ing to God and the more efficient is her prayer. 
Therefore she calls a greater number of persons to aid 
in the celebration of the sacred mystery, and invites all 
nature to implore God for the relief of the Suffering 
Souls. The three children in the fiery furnace 
(Daniel iii.) invited all creatures, water, fire, heat, 
cold, light and darkness, hills and valleys, seas and 
rivers, etc., to bless the Lord. The soul of man 
honors God by sentiments of faith, hope, charity, 
humility, gratitude, submission, etc.; and it is the 
office of the body to express these sentiments by its 
attitudes, because the human body is the king of 
material creation formed by the Almighty’s own hand. 
“And God created man to His own image.” (Gen. i. 27.) 
In man’s body all material creation, so to say, does 
homage to God. This the Church acknowledges to 
the fullest extent. Hence she first sanctifies all nature, 
and then employs it for her purposes. At a solemn 
Mass the external accessories are of much greater 
splendor than at a private Mass. 


220 


Chapter III. 


209. At solemn High Mass the Church employs 
a greater number of ministering officials : deacon, sub¬ 
deacon, acolytes; she employs more precious vest¬ 
ments and sacred vessels; the number of lighted 
candles is greater; there are incensations, singing and 
ringing of bells. All these accessories are for the 
greater glory of God, and to increase the devotion of 
the faithful. Hence the Church accords special privi¬ 
leges to the solemn High Ma^s of Requiem, so that it 
can be celebrated every day except on Sundays and 
higher feasts.—How wise and compassionate is Holy 
Mother Church! Imitating our Divine Savior she 
makes animate and inanimate creation serve her pur¬ 
poses. Jesus Christ sanctifies water in the name of 
the Tri-une God thereby to make us heirs of heaven; 
He makes use of bread, wine, oil, etc., in the holy 
sacraments to confer on us the graces of salvation. In 
the same manner Holy Church blesses and uses w^ater, 
salt, incense, vestments, bells, etc., to make us share in 
the treasury of grace entrusted to her by Christ. 
Whosoever regards Christ as his Redeemer must 
needs have a firm faith in His infallible Church and 
cherish all her ordinances. Hence St. Cyprian aptly 
says, “Whosoever has not the Church for his Mother 
cannot have God for his Father.”—How sacred then 
must be the rites which the Church employs in the 
celebration of the august Sacrifice for the Suffering 
Souls, who were her faithful children on earth! 

210. Christ delivered Himself substantially to*His 
Church, not only to be her Oblation, but also that she 
might be able to offer herself in and with this Oblation 
of infinite value. She does this by living the whole 
life of Jesus Christ, in intimate union with this Obla- 


On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls, 221 

tion, through the entire course of every year. Guided 
by the Holy Ghost, she is intent on giving due ex¬ 
pression to her faith by this Oblation as well as by her 
whole cult; and therefore she watches jealously over 
its purity. Hence the more solemn the ecclesiatical 
service, the more valuable and effective is the Sacri¬ 
fice. This is demonstrated by the learned Pasqualigo. 
He answers the question whether a solemn and a private 
Mass are of the same value with reference to the Suf¬ 
fering Souls as follows : 

“ It must be admitted, firsts that a solemn Mass in 
its character as a Sacrifice of impetration is more 
effective than a private one for the person for whom 
the Sacrifice is offered—offered as it is by the Church. 

“ It must be admitted, secondly^ that a solemn Mass, 
offered by the Church as a Sacrifice of atonement for 
any individual, is more effective than a private Mass. 

"‘It must be admitted, thirdly, that the Sacrifice 
solemnly offered is more effective than a private Mass 
in virtue of its own efficacy, as also in its character of 
a Sacrifice of propitiation, atonement and impetration.” 

In explanation of the last observation Pasqualigo 
adds that since Christ has left the Sacrifice to the 
Church for the purpose of applying the fruits of His 
passion to the souls of men, its solemn oblation must 
in equity be productive of more abundant fruits. 

211. Hence the greater the solemnity with which 
Holy Mass is celebrated, the more enhanced the maj¬ 
esty of the august Sacrifice becomes; and the greater 
is also the glory it gives to God, the more abun¬ 
dant are its blessings for the Church by whom it is 
offered. That fruit of Holy Mass which grows out of 
its own efficacy is the surest and most abundant, it is 


222 


Chapter III. 


the essential and special fruit of the Sacrifice, because 
the value and efficacy of Holy Mass depend solely on 
the divine character of Christ and on the infinite mer¬ 
its of His Sacrifice on the cross. But in order that the 
faithful may have a greater share in this fruit of the 
Sacrifice, the Church surrounds Holy Mass with the 
greatest solemnity possible; she adorns it with ex¬ 
pressive ceremonies and sends her prayer to heaven 
in suppliant chant. These accessories are not aimless, 
nor without signification; they are not made use of 
for the purpose of doing honor to man : the}^ have a 
true value of their own. What incongruous ideas so 
many Catholics entertain concerning the solemnity of 
divine service ! The increased ceremonial, the solemn 
Mass is not instituted for the entertainment of the 
congregation, or to foster the ambition of individuals, 
but for the purpose of moving God more effectually to 
grant the graces we implore; or in other words, to 
render the supplications and petitions of the Church 
more effectual. 

212. Everything pertaining tp faith and to the 
service of God, even the minutest detail, usage and 
custom, was regarded by the Venerable Catherine 
Emmerich as most sacred. She remarked, “Nothing 
is mere ceremony; all is essence and efficacy mani¬ 
fested by signs. All that is performed by the Church, 
even though her ministers through human frailty ma}^ 
be actuated by profane motives, is performed by the 
direction of the Holy Ghost. Animated confidence 
joined with simplicity changes ever3dhing into es¬ 
sence and substance.” 

St. Mechtildis often saw saintly Sisters of her con¬ 
vent released from Purgatory after the first Mass cele- 


On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 223 

brated for them. Sometimes she beheld Christ, the 
Blessed Virgin and numerous other saints surrounding 
the altar and offering up their merits. Some souls are 
privileged to assist at the Mass said for their release, 
and then go directly to heaven. 

§ 39. What is more Profitable and Meritorious—to have 
Masses Celebrated for Ourselves during Life, 
or after Death ? 

213. Many Catholics are solicitous to have a num¬ 
ber of Masses celebrated after their death for the re¬ 
pose of their souls. For this purpose they save money 
and devise a portion of their estate in their last will 
and testament. This is good and praiseworthy, and 
persons intending this should by no means be dis¬ 
suaded from doing so; yet it is more profitable and 
meritorious to have these Masses celebrated during 
life. St. Leonard of Port Maurice exhorts us most 
earnestly to have Masses celebrated for ourselves dur¬ 
ing life-time rather than after our death; and he de¬ 
clares that one Mass before our death is much more 
profitable to us than many after it. He gives the fol¬ 
lowing reasons : First, if we have a Mass said for 
us during life-time, we are the cause of its celebration 
and can assist at it, which latter is impossible after 
our death. Secondly, if a Mass is celebrated for us 
during life-time, and we are perhaps in the state of 
sin, we may hope to receive from God’s mercy, in 
virtue of this Mass, the grace to perceive our sinful 
state, to be moved to true contrition, and to reconcile 
ourselves with God by a sincere confession. True, 
God is not obliged to grant us this grace; for whoso- 


224 


Chapter III. 


ever remains consciously in the state of mortal sin, 
is not capable of gaining supernatural merit. But as 
God is infinitely merciful, He usually grants to sinners 
who perform a good action the grace of true contrition 
for their sins. This grace or efficacy of Holy Mass 
cannot be obtained after death. For if we die in a 
state of sin, even thousands of Masses would not trans¬ 
fer us into the state of grace; we remain forever ene¬ 
mies of God and children of wrath. 

214. Thirdly, Holy Mass can obtain for us the 
grace of a happy death, because in virtue of its being 
offered for us God will assist us with special aid to 
triumph over the enemy of our souls in that decisive 
hour. Fourthly, if Masses are said for us before our 
death, their merit will accrue to us after it, and we 
shall thereby either be preserved entirely from Purga¬ 
tory, or our punishment will be mitigated and lessened. 
For by ever}" Holy Mass we pay to God a great part of 
our indebtedness; and if we hear it with special devo¬ 
tion we moreover blot out many venial sins, so that 
we may reasonably hope to escape a great part of our 
punishment after death. But if we defer these Masses 
until after our death, we shall be obliged to wait 
for their celebration in case we are in Purgatory, and 
this waiting is most distressing and painful. Hence it 
is better that the benefits accruing to us from Holy 
Mass be obtained in advance, than to wait for them in 
the torments of Purgatory. 

215. Fifthly, by ordering a Mass in life-time we 
make an offering to God of our money, inasmuch 
as we give the usual stipend or alms for the support of 
the priest, thereby depriving ourselves of some means 
of gratification. After death however we deprive our- 


On the Meayis of Relievmg the Suffering Souls. 225 

selves of nothing; for then our earthly enjoyments 
have ended, and our means go to our heirs. By mak¬ 
ing bequests for Masses after our death, our action no 
longer includes self-denial; we give what death will 
inevitably deprive us of. Hence our offering cannot 
be so pleasing to God and so meritorious for us, as it 
would have been if we had made it during life-time. 
Sixthly, it is to be remembered that a person perform¬ 
ing a good action in tlie state of grace receives a 
double reward. He receives a remission of part of 
the punishment due for his sins; and he merits a 
greater reward in heaven. Thus a person having a 
Mass said for himself during his life-time pays a part 
of his indebtedness to God, and merits a greater glory 
in heaven; but when he defers the Mass until after his 
death, though he thereby pays a part of his indebt¬ 
edness, his glory in heaven is not increased. Even 
though thousands of Masses were celebrated for us 
after death, our heavenly glory would not be increased 
one degree; for in heaven merits are no longer placed 
to our credit: a truth to be well remembered. 

216. Finally, we ought to consider that by one 
Holy Mass celebrated for us during liff more punish¬ 
ment is remitted to us than by a great number cele¬ 
brated after our death. If we have offended someone 
and ask his pardon immediately, we may easily obtain 
it; but if we hesitate and defer seeking reconciliation 
till the matter is perhaps taken before the court, then 
one word spoken in our defense may cost us many 
dollars. Now we offend God often and in many ways 
during life : if we implore his pardon immediately and 
as long as we live, and manifest our willingness to 

atone for the offense by some good work—for instance 

16 * 


22G 


Chapter III, 


by alms-deeds, acts of charit}^ a Holy Mass, etc.—this 
may suffice to cancel our whole indebtedness. But if 
we let our indebtedness accumulate until we appear 
before the tribunal of God, the penalty will be much 
heavier. In the next world the time of grace ceases, 
God judges everything according to the rigor of His 
justice; and accordingly every venial sin is punished 
so severely that many Masses will not suffice to can¬ 
cel what one alone would h’ave cancelled during our 
life-time. If we have the misfortune of committing a 
mortal sin after having a Mass celebrated for us dur¬ 
ing life, we shall more easily receive the grace of true 
contrition and sincere confession. 

217. St. Bernard relates of a pious and wealthy 
merchant in Genoa, that the last will he had made was 
the occasion of most uncharitable remarks, because it 
contained no provision for Masses to be said for the 
repose of his soul. All his papers and business records 
were diligently searched to find an explanation how it 
happened that so devout a man could be guilt}^ of neg¬ 
lecting so important a matter. To the great edifica¬ 
tion of all it was finally discovered that the deceased 
had caused thousands of Masses to be said for him dur¬ 
ing his life-time. He had taken to heart the words of St. 
Bonaventure, “God values a trifling voluntary pen¬ 
ance in this life much higher than a more severe but 
compulsory one in the next; just as a little gold is 
more valuable than a great lump of lead.” Hence St. 
Anselm asserts, “To hear one Holy Mass devoutly in 
life is more profitable than to bequeath so much that 
thousands can be said after death.” 

And how much more meritorious will these Masses 
be, if we offer them for the relief of the Suffering Souls ! 


On the Means of Relieving the Suffermg Souts. 227 

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” 
(Matth. V. 7.) Hence St. Paul exhorts us, “Bet us go 
therefore with confidence to the throne of grace, that 
we may obtain mercy, and find grace in seasonable 
aid.” (Hebr. iv. 16.) 

§ 40. What Amount of Punishment is Remitted 

by a Holy Mass? 

218. It has been repeatedly stated in the course 
of these treatises, that the efficacy and value, that is, 
the internal efficiency of Holy Mass as a Sacrifice of 
propitiation and impetration, is infinite. The full 
price of our redemption, the inexhaustible treasure of 
atonement and merit gained for us by Christ on the 
cross are offered by Him continually to His Divine 
Father for the purpose of applying them to mankind. 
The Holy Sacrifice of Mass therefore contains in itself 
superabundant atonement for the cancellation of all 
sins and punishments, an all-sufficient price for ob¬ 
taining innumerable graces and spiritual favors. 
Hence the atoning value of Holy Mass is* infinite. 
Nevertheless the efficacy of Holy Mass in its applica¬ 
tion to man is not unlimited, since even the efficacy of 
the sacrifice of the cross is limited to a certain extent, 
as the learned Suarez declares. The fruits of Holy 
Mass, in their application to man, are always limited as 
to their measure. Hence St. Thomas observes, “Al¬ 
though the power of Christ in the sacrament of the 
Holy Eucharist is infinite, yet the effect for which 
this sacrament is ordained is limited. For this reason 
the entire punishment of those detained in Purgatory 
is not remitted by one Mass, and the priest offering 
this Sacrifice is not absolved from all debt of atone- 


228 


Chapter III, 


ment which he owes for his sins. Consequently it 
may sometimes happen that several Masses are re¬ 
quired before full satisfaction is made for a sin.’' 

219. Moreover the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass does 
not always produce so manifold nor so powerful an 
effect as the person for whom it is offered is capable of 
receiving. Its efficacy is restricted to a certain meas¬ 
ure, though in particular cases the effects may be 
greater or less. This is demonstrated by the fact that 
the Church usually offers the Holy Sacrifice repeatedly 
to obtain a favor, for instance the release of a soul 
from Purgatory, the conversion of a sinner, or bodily 
health. If Holy Mass would produce its full effect in 
ever}^ case, one single application of this august Sacri¬ 
fice would be sufficient to obtain the desired grace. 
The blessings derived from Holy Mass do not result 
entirely from its essence, nor from the spiritual dis¬ 
position of the person for whom it is celebrated, al¬ 
though the latter considerably influences the measure 
of the blessings: the reason of this limited efficacy of 
Holy Mass—mark it well, Christian soul,—is to be 
found in the will of Christ. And why did He so 
ordain? The renowned theologian Sporer answers, 
“Christ, the Son of God, willed and ordained that a 
Sacrifice should be offered to Him, and that it should 
produce a certain and limited effect of atonement and 
intercession, to be determined by Him and applied 
according to the capacity of those offering it, in order 
that this sacrifice might be offered more frequently 
and more zealously.” 

220. St. Gregory relates that thirty Masses had to 
be said for a religious who had without permission re¬ 
tained a few gold coins. Constantia, a daughter of St. 


On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 229 

Klisabeth of Portugal, died soon after her marriage to 
the king of Castile. As soon as her mother was in¬ 
formed of her death, she hastened to join her husband 
who was in Cantarem. Presently a hermit asked for 
an audience; and he told them that their daughter 
Constantia had repeatedly appeared to him, stating 
that she had been sentenced to a long and painful 
Purgatory. But it had been promised to her that she 
would be released after a year, if Holy Mass was cele¬ 
brated for her every day. The queen conferred with 
her husband, and he deemed it advisable to do what 
had been asked of them in so extraordinary a manner. 
Besides the king considered it not more than proper 
that a Christian father should have Masses said for 
his deceased daughter. Hence they resolved to act on 
the suggestion of the pious permit, and entrusted a 
saintly priest by the name of Mendez with the cele¬ 
bration of these Masses. At the close of the year, 
when the last Mass had been said, Constantia ap¬ 
peared to her mother, and told her that she had that 
day been released in consequence of these Masses, and 
that she was about to enter heaven. 

221. The faithful who take a personal and active 
part in the celebration of the Sacrifice, who assist at it 
with devotion and thus share in its celebration, there¬ 
by gain a special and particular fruit, either through 
the action and qualification of the ministering agent, 
or through the Sacrifice itself in virtue of its divine 
efficacy. It is generally held by theologians that this 
special and particular fruit of the Sacrifice is granted 
without restriction or diminution to all persons present 
during the offering of it, without regard to their num¬ 
ber ; every one individually receives the full and whole 


230 


Chapter III. 


fruit of grace equivalent to his co-operation, his man¬ 
ner of offering, his piety and devotion. 

22 2. But the case is different when we regard 
Holy Mass as a Sacrifice of impetration offered by the 
priest as Christ’s agent. Here the question presents 
itself: Does the Sacrifice, when offered for many, pro¬ 
cure for every one individually the full and whole fruit; 
that is, does it procure just so much fruit as it would 
if it were offered for him alone ? or is the fruit dis¬ 
tributed in such a manner among those for whom it is 
offered, that their part becomes less in proportion to 
the number of those who share in it ? The majority 
of theologians are of the opinion—and this opinion is 
sustained by interior and exterior reasons—, that the 
fruits of the Sacrifice are distributed individually; and j 
that they are therefore lessened in proportion as the \ 
number of participants increases to whom the priest | 
by special intention applies them. This should not be ■ 
forgotten when we cause the Holy Sacrifice to be of¬ 
fered for one or more souls in Purgator5^ 

223. The Holy Souls, helplessly suffering in Pur¬ 
gatory, are greatly in need of Holy Mass, thereby to ; 
receive from divine justice a lessening of the duration j 
and intensity of their torments. The Church teaches 1 
that Holy Mass aids the deceased in a special manner, | 
more so than all other suffrages. Holy Mass aids \ 
them more than prayers and indulgences, more than j 
fasting, alms-deeds and night-watches, more than ; 
works of charity and piet}^ offered for them by virtue 
of the communion of saints. Holy Mass offered for 
them is never ineffectual. To what extent the Sacri¬ 
fice of the Mass aids the Suffering Souls is beyond our ; 
cognition; for it has not been revealed to us what 



On the 3Teans of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 231 

measure of benefit the Suffering Souls receive from 
this Sacrifice. Whether a soul is to be released more 
or less speedily from Purgatory is decided by Him 
whose justice and mercy are equally inscrutable. For 
this reason it is not superfluous, but rather necessar}'^ 
to cause the Holy Sacrifice to be celebrated repeatedly 
for one and the same soul, to render its admission to 
heavenly glory so much the surer. This applies even 
to the so-called privileged Mass by which besides the 
usual fruit of the Sacrifice a plenary indulgence is 
gained for the departed soul in virtue of a personal or 
local privilege of the altar ; for even the application of 
such an indulgence, being granted for the deceased 
only by way of suffrage, is left wholly to the disposal 
of divine mercy. 

§ 41. Is the Celebration of Low or Private Masses 

Permitted ? 

224. To explain correctly the terms “private” and 
“public” Mass, due regard must be had to the sense 
in which a Mass is called a private one. “It seems to 
accord best with ecclesiastical terminology,” says 
Schmid in his “Liturgy,” Vol. I., “to call that Mass 
a public one which is said for a public cause, and 
which the faithful are earnestly invited to attend. 
Every Mass not having these qualifications is a pri¬ 
vate one.” Consequently the parochial Mass, the con¬ 
ventual Mass, and Masses said on public occasions are 
public Masses; whereas a Mass which is said for a 
private intention, and at which the congregation is at 
liberty to assist or not, is a private Mass. Mahrzohl, 
in his “Liturgy,” Vol. II., says, “Low or private 
Masses are such as are said on an altar in a church or 


232 


Chapter III. 


chapel without solemnity and chant, with th6 assist¬ 
ance of only one or two attendants.” Hence a Mass 
said publicly in church and attended by a larger or 
smaller number of persons, is nevertheless a private 
Mass. Regarded in this view, public Masses are at 
the same time solemn ones ; they are celebrated with 
solemnity, for instance with chant, organ accompani¬ 
ment, a greater number of lighted candles, more at¬ 
tendants, etc. These Masses are usually termed 
“High Masses,” and if celebrated with deacon and sub¬ 
deacon, “Solemn High Masses.” 

225. Private Masses have been and still are re¬ 
garded by many with disfavor, but only from mivScon- 
ception. For the essence of Mass consists in the offer¬ 
ing of bread and wine, its consecration or changing 
into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, and commu¬ 
nion, or its reception by the minister of the Sacrifice. 
Hence the offertory, the consecration and communion 
are the essential parts of Holy Mass. All this is 
found in the private Mass; hence it is a true Sacrifice, 
in which the sacrifice of the cross is re-enacted in an 
unbloody manner ; consequently this Mass is not only 
permitted, but most beneficial and salutary. 

226, True, in early times public Masses were the 
rule when circumstances permitted their celebration ; 
but there is evidence that private Masses were said 
even then. Tertullian and St. Cyprian mention occa¬ 
sions when only a few persons assisted at Mass; for 
instance in prisons. St. Eusebius and St. Gregory of 
Tours also relate that Masses were said in private 
houses and in prisons. Constantine the Great had a 
private oratory in his palace, and had even a portable 
altar constructed which he took along with him to the 


On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 


233 


camp, so that Mass might be celebrated for him. 
(Kuseb. Vita Const. lyib. iv.)—Sozomenes relates of 
St. Gregory Nazianzen, that he often celebrated the 
holy mysteries in a private oratory.—St. Paiilinus, 
bishop of Nola, in his last illness had an altar erected 
in front of his bed and celebrated Mass ^ on it shortly 
before his death.—St. Gregory the Great writes of 
bishop Cassius, that he celebrated Mass every day in 
an oratory, because he could not go to the church on 
account of illness.—To St. John, bishop of Syracuse, he 
wrote that he should not forbid Mass to be said in the 
house ofVenantius Patricius.—Once, when St.John 
the Almoner perceived that the people left the church 
after the gospel, he turned to them and said, “It is for 
your sake that I come to church. For myself I might 
celebrate the Holy Sacrifice at home.” 

227. It is clear from this testimony, that private 
Masses date back to the earliest ages of the Church. 
Hence the Council of Trent declares: “The holy 
Synod desires that the faithful present should receive 
holy communion not only spiritually but sacramentally 
in every Mass, in order to share more abundantly in 
this Most Holy Sacrifice ; yet, if this is not always pos¬ 
sible, it does not condemn those private Masses in 
which the priest alone communicates, but approves of 
and commends them, because they also must be 
regarded as public Masses for the reason that the 
faithful communicate spiritually, and because they are 
celebrated by the public minister of the Church.” 
(Sess. 22, 5.) And in its canons the holy Synod de¬ 
clares: “If anybody asserts that the Masses in 
which the priest alone communicates sacramentally 
are illicit and therefore to be abolished, let him be 
anathema.” 


234 


Chapter III. 


228. In this is shown the maternal solicitude of 
the Church for her children. Our Lord Jesus Christ 
instituted the sacraments for mankind, that by their 
faithful reception men might share in the graces of 
redemption. A sacrament validly administered attains 
the end for which it was instituted by Christ, if the 
person receiving it on his part places no obstacle. 
The administration of these divine means of salvation 
was entrusted to the Church. Hence she has made 
the rite of administering the sacraments in a solemn 
and appropriate manner the object of her most tender 
solicitude. Though originating in the institution of 
Christ, the present form of this rite is an offspring of 
the Church; and with holy rigor she insists that her 
ministers preserve it in its purity. But she also has 
due regard for circumstances, and herein she proves 
herself a tender mother. Although she commands the 
observance of her discipline under pain of mortal sin, 
she excuses from this observance in case of impos¬ 
sibility. 

229. How beautiful and expressive for instance is 
the rite of baptism ! Yet in case of necessity the bap¬ 
tism of blood or of desire is a valid substitute for the 
sacramental baptism of water ; and the Church recog¬ 
nizes the validity of private baptism if rightly ad¬ 
ministered. But if such persons survive, the former 
are bound to receive the sacramental baptism of water; 
for the latter the Church ordains that the omitted 
ceremonies be supplied in church as soon as possible. 
In danger of death, when a priest is not obtainable to 
give absolution, perfect contrition with the firm pur¬ 
pose to confess our sins as soon as possible, will 
cleanse us from sin; should we survive the danger, 


On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls, 


285 


we must confess our sins to obtain their forgiveness. 
The same applies to the other sacraments : when cir¬ 
cumstances prevent the observance of the whole rite, 
the Church is so indulgent that she even exhorts the 
faithful to content themselves with what is essential to 
attain eternal bliss. The rich fruits of these sacred 
rites, however, are obtained only by those for whom 
they are performed. 

230. The same holds good with relation to Holy 
Mass. Solemn High Mass represents the most meri¬ 
torious form of divine worship; the beautiful cere¬ 
monies duly observed in a spirit of faith procure for 
the faithful the most abundant measure of the fruits of 
this Sacrifice in virtue of its own divine efficacy. 
(Suarez, Disput. 79. viii. 5.) In solemn High Mass 
we possess the full treasury of divine grace. The 
accidentals of this treasury may be removed; its' es¬ 
sence will still remain. The more perfect the ob¬ 
servance of the incidental solemnity of Mass, the 
more fruit will accrue to the soul. But circumstances 
often prevent the faithful from having the Holy Sacri¬ 
fice offered in its most solemn form; so that, if this 
form were an indispensable condition of Mass, its cele¬ 
bration would often be impeded. 

231. Hence Schmid, in his “Liturgy,” vol. I., 
says: “The attendance at the daily celebration of the 
Sacrifice, to many Christians the beginning of their 
day’s work, would in this case have to be omitted. 
Many a scattered congregation without a house of 
worship would be deprived of the happiness of assist¬ 
ing at the holy mysteries in a private house; those 
members of the parish who for some reason or other 
cannot assist at High Mass, would be deprived of the 


236 


Chapter III. 


opportunity of offering themselves as a living holo¬ 
caust to the Lord during the celebration of the august 
Sacrifice of the New Law; many a Sunday and holy- 
day would not be observed. As to the application of 
Mass, as now customary, let those inclined to criticism 
on this point remember that every person feels more 
or less affection for some particular friend ; hence the 
permission of the Church to have Mass celebrated for 
individuals is but a natural recognition of this 
irrepressible sentiment. The difference of solemnity 
in the form of Mass originates in circumstances: how 
could everything necessary for a solemn High Mass be 
observed every day?” For this reason the Church 
permits low or private Masses, in order that none of 
the faithful may be prevented from sharing in the fruit 
of this sublime Sacrifice. High Mass is not to be 
slighted'or regarded as superfluous because by force 
of circumstances low or private Masses have become 
the rule ; for the spiritual gain increases in proportion 
to the solemnity. 

232. Since private Masses are said b}^ a public 
minister of the Church not for himself alone, but for 
all the faithful belonging to the Church, every true 
member of Christ’s mystical body has a share in every 
such Mass. A greater share of the blessings of the 
holy Sacrifice is gained by him, who spiritually in¬ 
cludes himself in Mass whenever he cannot assist at it 
• 

in person. A still greater share is granted to him who 
causes Mass to be said for a special intention, either 
for himself or for others; for he that gives an alms for 
the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice is without doubt 
preferred, on account of this good work, to those who 
do not give an alms. The solemnity of the form of 


On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 237 

Mass is graded correspondingly to the amount of the 
alms; the degree of spiritual profit is graded according 
to the solemnity of the form; for God 'promised to 
reward every good work. A still greater measure of 
spiritual profit is accorded to him who assists devoutly 
at the Holy Sacrifice and makes the acts of spiritual 
communion. The manifold treasures of Holy Mass 
are still more abundantly showered on him who assists 
at it with due preparation and devotion, and receives 
communion .sacramentally, doing moreover what is in 
his power to cause Holy Mass to be celebrated in its 
most perfect and solemn form. This shall be demon¬ 
strated more explicitly in the following paragraph. 
Nevertheless this measure of spiritual benefit or fruit 
must always remain limited, in order that “the Holy 
Sacrifice of Mass,” so the learned Sporer remarks, 
“may continue to be celebrated according to the inten¬ 
tion of our Divine Savior with ever increasing zeal 
and devotion.” 

233^ Although the fruits of Holy Mass are limited 
to a certain number and measure, as is also the case 
with regard to the sacrifice of the cross, the Sacrifice 
of the Mass is nevertheless of infinite value in the sight 
of God. It is priceless and of infinite value because 
Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God and Splendor of 
the Father, offers in it His own Body and Blood. 
Remembering that our Divine Savior gave us the con¬ 
soling assurance, “Amen, amen I say to you: if you 
ask the Father anything in my name. He will give it 
you” (John xvi. 23.), our courage must be enlivened 
to the highest degree when we hold in our hands 
Jesus Himself, His beloved Son, while praying in, 
through and with Him.' 


23S 


Chapter III. 


If we reflect that our brethren and sisters in the 
purifying flames of Purgatory belong to the great 
community of those who are one family, with us in 
Christ, namely the holy Catholic Church; and that 
Christ, who once offered Himself on the cross in a 
bloody manner for the salvation of all mankind, daily 
renews this Sacrifice in an unbloody manner on our 
altars: —then it will not be difficult for us to believe 
that this august mystery everywhere exercises its 
atoning power, whether celebrated in the marble halls 
of St. Peter’s in Rome amid the splendor of gorgeous 
vestments, brilliant illumination, a profusion of flow¬ 
ers and of master-pieces of Christian art, or in the poor 
hut erected by the newly-converted savage in the wild 
forest of a distant land—a place of worship which by 
its raw material and rude construction gives evidence 
of his want of means and lack of ideas, but which at 
the same time demonstrates the fact that Catholics are 
not tenacious of exterior forms, but intimately wed¬ 
ded to the essence; that it is not exterior beauty, but 
interior worth that attracts them. This sentiment it 
is that produces a salutary effect for our spiritual and 
temporal welfare, provided we offer ourselves to God 
with contrite and humble hearts, together with all our 
possessions and whatever is dear to us. And for this 
reason the Church not only permits, but heartily en¬ 
dorses and commends low or private Masses. 

§ 42. The Relative Value of One High Mass 
and Five Private Masses. 

234. We remarked before that by a Holy Mass 
not the whole, but only a part of our debts or punish¬ 
ments is cancelled; for in its application to us the 


On the 3/eans of Relieving the Suffering Souls, 239 

value of a Mass is limited. A well may be ever so 
deep and filled entirely with water, nevertheless the 
quantity of water we draw depends on the capacity of 
the vessel we use for drawing; but the oftener we 
draw, the more water we get. The same is true with 
regard to Holy Mass: the oftener we assist devoutly 
at Mass, the greater will become our store of merit, the 
more debts will be cancelled for us, and the greater 
will be our glory in heaven. The vessels with which 
water is drawn from the well may differ as to their 
capacity, and therefore one may hold more water than 
another. In like manner, the more devout and better 
disposed we are when assisting at Mass, and the greater 
in general our esteem for it is, the more fruit will we 
derive from the Holy Sacrifice. If we bring to the 
well a vessel of extraordinary capacity, one holding 
more water than its owner is willing that we should 
draw at one time, he will tell us to come oftener in¬ 
stead of drawing so much at once. Our Divine Savior 
acts similarly with regard to the Holy Sacrifice of 
Mass. It is His will that we should come again and 
again, drawing every time a new supply of grace from 
this inexhaustible treasury. 

235. The sources from which the fruits of Holy 
Mass issue are manifold. They may result either from 
the divine efficacy of the Sacrifice itself, or from the 
Church as being the mystical body of Christ, or from 
the spiritual state of the minister -who offers it. When 
w^e refer in general and without precise determination 
of our meaning to the fruit of the Holy Sacrifice of 
Mass, we refer above all to that fruit which originates 
solely and directly in Christ and in His infinite merits, 
and which is therefore the most copious, the most cer- 


240 


Chapter III. 


tain, the essential and realTmit of the Sacrifice, In 
the second place our attention is directed to the value 
and efficacy of Mass inasmuch as its celebration is an 
act of the entire Church; or in other words, inasmuch 
as the priest celebrates it in the name of and commis¬ 
sioned by the Church. In the third place the value 
and efficacy of the Mass is to be considered inasmuch 
as its celebration is a personal good work of the sacri¬ 
ficing priest and the assisting faithful. 

236. In the Gospel man is likened to a tree. God, 
the Divine Gardener, as it were grafted into us by 
justification a branch of the tree of life, Christ our 
Lord ; and thereby the .supernatural life of grace was 
transmitted from Him to us, so that now we are cap¬ 
able of producing good fruits by performing virtuous 
and meritorious works in the service of God. He who 
by sanctifying grace ennobles our being, desires of us 
something in return, viz. good, supernatural; holy 
works, b}^ which we merit eternal bliss, the super¬ 
natural, heavenly reward promised to us by God; 
hence these supernaturally good works are also called 
meritorious works. A servant works for his master 
and executes his commands; and in return he re¬ 
ceives the wages for his labor. We also should labor 
in God’s service by fulfilling His wi^l and keeping His 
commandments ; and in return He will reward us with 
the joys of heaven. The will of God is made known 
to us by the ten commandments and the precepts of the 
Church ; and the spiritual and corporal works of mercy 
are pronounced meritorious acts of charity. To gain 
merits for heaven we must perform good works. We 
must watch, pray, labor, suffer, and strive to attain 
sanctity and win heaven. Eternal life is to be for us 


On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 


241 


uot only a heritage, a pure gift of divine mercy, but 
also a reward which we must earn, a crown of justice 
which we must win in legitimate combat. The super¬ 
abundant satisfaction made by Christ does .not relieve 
us of the duty of making satisfaction ourselves to God 
by works of atonement, and of gathering merit for 
heaven; but all our works of atonement have their 
quickening source in Christ, from whom they draw 
their efficacy and value. He offers them to His 
heavenly Father, and through His meditation they 
are accepted. 

237. Among these personal good works the cele¬ 
bration of Mass by the priest, and the devout assist¬ 
ance at it by the faithful holds the first place. When 
the priest celebrates Holy Mass and the faithful par¬ 
ticipate in the celebration by their assistance, by serv¬ 
ing at the altar, by giving a stipend, etc., they un¬ 
doubtedly perform the most sacred and salutary of all 
good, meritorious and worshipful actions. The 
Church herself declares that “no action performed by 
Christians is so holy and divine as this,” namely the 
celebration of Holy Mass. The celebration of and as¬ 
sistance at Mass, as a personal action, is certainly a 
supremely good work; yet the value of this good 
work, as we have already been informed, can only be 
a limited one as regards those who perform it. If the 
necessary conditions are fulfilled, the celebration of 
Mass on the part of the priest and assistance at it on 
the part of the faithful not only has like every other 
good work the power of obtaining various benefits, 
but also the power of cancelling punishment of sin 
and of meriting an increase of sanctifying grace and 
heavenly glory. This three-fold fruit originates in the 

\i* 


242 


Chapter III. 


Spiritual condition and in the act of both the sacrific- 
^ing priest and the assisting faithful; to obtain it they 
must be in the state of grace, and they must sacrifice 
and pray with a good intention, with faith and devo¬ 
tion. The greater the sanctity, piety, faith and char¬ 
ity of the priest and the assisting faithful, the more 
copious will be the fruit gained by both. 

238. In Holy Mass it is not only the priest and 
the faithful who offer the sacrifice, but the whole 
Church unites with them in supplication. This sup¬ 
plication is an act of the universal Church ; in other 
words, the priest performs the sacred act in which he 
is engaged at the altar in the name and by the com¬ 
mission of the Church as such. The Holy Sacrifice of 
Mass and the liturgical office of the Breviary form the 
principal part of the public divine service of the 
Church, imposed by her on her ministers specially 
ordained and commissioned for this purpose. For not 
only man individually, but religious society as such is 
bound in duty to do homage to God. Hence a com¬ 
mon and public divine service is necessary; a visible 
cult is the essential bond of the religious communion 
known as the Church. The Church as a society of the 
faithful must worship God, as every man individually 
is bound to do, with all spiritual and bodily faculties; 
that is, she must adore, thank, implore and propitiate 
God not only b}^ internal, but also by external acts. 
This four-fold duty she fulfils by prayer and sacrifice, 
both of which are intimately united, the one pervad¬ 
ing and supplementing the other. At the altar the 
whole Church sacrifices and prays through her repre¬ 
sentative, the priest; there she offers to God the sacri¬ 
fice of praise, thanksgiving, propitiation and impetra- 


On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 243 

tion. To mankind the value and efficacy of this sacri¬ 
fice must ever be limited, because the members of the 
Church never are nor can be infinitely holy. The 
fruit of every good work performed by an individual 
depends on his spiritual condition and the intrinsic 
value of his action. In like manner the value and 
efficacy of Holy Mass, as regards the application of its 
fruits to the souls of men, depend on the worthiness, 
merit and sanctity of the members of the Church ; 
for the offering of the Sacrifice is not the act of any 
individual member as'such, but it is the act of the uni¬ 
versal Church. 

239. Attention must here be called to the fact 
that the Church as such cannot merit and atone; for 
to do so there is need of the active or passive agency 
of a person in the state of grace. But such an active 
or passive agency, productive of merit and atonement, 
is not exercised by the Church in Holy Mass. The 
celebration of this Sacrifice by the Church can there¬ 
fore draw down graces and blessings from heaven only 
by way of impetration ; but this her supplication is 
always sure sooner or later to find a gracious hearing. 
The efficacy of the prayer of the Church is by no 
means dependent on the worthiness or unworthiness 
of the ministering priest, but obtains its effect by 
virtue of its own divine power. Sanctity is an essen¬ 
tial mark of the Church which can never be wanting 
to her; hence her prayer is always graciously re¬ 
ceived by God and rewarded with most abundant 
blessings. But the efficacy of the prayer offered by 
the Church through her members depends on the 
degree of sanctity in the Church ; that is, on the sanc¬ 
tity of her members, which is not always and un- 


244 


Chapter III. 


changeably the same, but which may at different times 
be greater or less. And so also the sacrifice of the 
Church is more or less acceptable to God and salutary 
to mankind, according as the degree of sanctity attained 
by the Church in her members is higher or lower. 
There being divers formulas of the Mass, the fruit of 
impetration to be attained by the Sacrifice offered in 
the name of the Church can be multiplied ; and these . 
fruits can be applied in a special manner to various 
particular ends. Hence not only the degree of sanc¬ 
tity in the Church, but the quality of the sacrificial 
prayers and of the entire sacrificial rite influence the 
measure and quality of the fruits of the Sacrifice 
gained by the Church; for this reason the value and 
efficacy of the Sacrifice offered in the name of the 
Church is so much greater as the rite is more solemn, 
the prayer more expressive; but the prayer of the 
Church always remains limited as to its value before 
God and its efficacy for the souls of men. 

240. But when we consider Holy Mass in itself 
—namely the supreme dignity of Christ, the Priest 
and Victim of the Sacrifice, and the inexhaustible 
wealth of its fruit as the unbloody renewal of the 
Sacrifice of the cross,—then it becomes evident that it 
is a Sacrifice of infinite value. As an infinitely valu¬ 
able and infinitely perfect Sacrifice it possesses also 
infinite power to produce those effects which are 
proper to it by the ordinance of Christ. The infinite 
price of redemption, the infinite treasure of atonement 
and merit contained in Holy Mass have their source 
in Christ, not on account of His offering Himself on 
the altar during Mass, but for the reason that He once 
offered Himself on the cross. Christ can no longer 


071 the Meatis of Relieving the Sufferhig Souls. 245 

atone and merit by the Sacrifice of the Mass ; He can 
only continue to apply to us, according to the condition 
of our souls and our participation in this divine Sacri¬ 
fice, the atonement and merit achieved for us on the 
cross. Holy Mass, as a Sacrifice, is the fountain from 
which we draw grace ; it is the Sacrifice of the Church. 
In its relation to God and in itself Holy Mass is of in¬ 
finite value; but for man or in man it can not produce 
infinite effects, as was explained in a former paragraph. 
The essential fruit of this Sacrifice therefore has its 
direct and only source in the self-immolation of Chri.st; 
and consequently this fruit is entirely independent of 
the properties of the Church’s prayer and of the spir¬ 
itual condition of the sacrificing priest and the assist¬ 
ing faithful. 

241. We must therefore distinguish between the 
essential fruit of Holy Mass originating in Christ, and 
the incidental fruit originating in the liturgical prayers 
and in the spiritual condition of the faithful. This 
latter is added to the essential fruit for the immediate 
benefit of him for whom the Sacrifice is offered. If a 
person desires to receive special graces by means of 
the celebration of Mass, he can attain this effect by 
the performance of good works, because God rewards 
every good work performed by man ; and the Holy 
Sacrifice in this respect is intended to be a help for us, 
to attain sanctification and the salvation of our souls. 
The most efficacious means of participating in the 
fruits of Holy Mass is the giving of alms for the pur¬ 
pose of causing its celebration. The greater a person’s 
esteem is for this august Sacrifice the more his heart 
will be inclined to self-denial for the purpose of having 
it celebrated, and the greater will be his share in the 


246 


Chapter III. 


Sacrifice when offered for him or according to his in¬ 
tention. There is a most intimate relation between 
the internal and external acts of man; springing from 
one and the same motive, they influence and supple¬ 
ment each other. Whatever affects the soul—joy and 
sorrow, love and hatred, hope and fear—expresses it¬ 
self exteriorly. This applies also to the interior acts 
of worship. Or should the abundant wealth of in¬ 
ternal affections, the ardent devotion and love of a 
godly soul not be manifested exteriorly, when the 
whole man is animated with these sentiments? No; 
he can not confine in his soul his worship of God dur¬ 
ing the Holy Sacrifice, but gives vent to it in psalms 
and hymns and spiritual canticles. He folds his 
hands, bends his knees and prostrates himself in the 
presence of his Maker and Redeemer. In a spirit of 
self-sacrifice he even denies himself in some things in 
order to assist in causing the full ceremonial of eccle¬ 
siastical functions to be performed at the celebration 
of the Holy Sacrifice.—The interior acts of divine 
worship are rendered more valuable, permanent and 
steadfast, when they find expression in the body, tak¬ 
ing to themselves as it were flesh and blood. On the 
other hand, where the forms of exterior worship are 
despised and neglected, the internal worship also 
languishes and dies away. 

242. The devout disposition of the sacrificing 
priest and the as.sisting faithful is not the source of the 
sacrificial fruit ot Holy Mass, but a condition neces¬ 
sarily to be fulfilled in order to gain a more abundant 
measure of this fruit. The faithful assisting at Mass 
or causing it to be celebrated thereby gain a special 
sacrificial fruit, more or less abundant according to the 


On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls, 247 

greater or less degree of their co-operation, piety and 
devotion. God demands our co-operation when grant- 
ing His favors ; the better we are prepared and dis¬ 
posed, the more liberal He is as a rule in dispensing 
His graces., The learned theologian Sporer says, 
“The better disposed and the holier a person is, the 
more zealous and devout is his prayer for himself and 
and others during Holy Mass ; and so he will gain for 
himself and others richer gifts of grace and merit, and 
make greater atonement for his sins.” But even though 
we were willing to abandon all things in order to receive 
immediately the grace we implore, and if for this same 
purpose we would live most holily, nevertheless our 
prayer through this Sacrifice is not always heard at 
once. The all-wise Providence of God, who disposes 
everything according to the designs of His omnipo¬ 
tence ; the will of our merciful Highpriest Jesus 
Christ, who offers on the altar the price of His Blood 
to produce a determinate effect of greater or less am¬ 
plitude—both demand that the Sacrifice be offered not 
only with increased fervor and devotion, but also that 
it be offered repeatedly. This is confirmed by the 
practice of the Church who repeatedly offers this most 
sublime Sacrifice to obtain divine favors. 

243. To participate the more efficiently in the 
sacrificial fruits of Mass, the faithful are zealously in¬ 
tent on offering up themselves and all their posses¬ 
sions to God. With Holy Scripture, the Fathers and 
the Church theologians divide works of satisfaction 
into three groups; and St. Thomas very appropriately 
explains how these three kinds of goods are adapted 
to their different purposes. Man possesses three kinds 
of goods : goods of the soul, goods of the body, and 


248 


Chapter III. 


goods of fortune; and it is not more than right that 
we should apply all three in rendering satisfaction to 
God for our offences against Him. Every good work 
that we perform is available for this purpose. By 
alms-deeds we deprive ourselves of a portion of our 
goods of fortune; by fasting we deny ourselves a 
bodily gratification; and by prayer we dedicate and 
subject to God our whole soul wdth all its faculties. 
Again, concupiscence which is the root of all evil is 
three-fold. Fasting is directed against the lust of the 
flesh and the sins proceeding therefrom; alms-deeds 
against concupiscence of the eyes; the humble suppli¬ 
cation of prayer against the pride of life. Finally, 
every sin is an offense against God, against our neigh¬ 
bor, or against ourselves. By prayer we make repara¬ 
tion of our sin against God ; by alms-deeds, for that 
against our neighbor; and by fasting, for the injury 
done to ourselves. By this means the honor of which 
God was deprived by sin is restored; and man is pun¬ 
ished by the withdrawal of a lawful pleasure, in re¬ 
paration of the offense committed by unlawful in¬ 
dulgence. 

244. The atonement and merits of Christ come to 
us from the cross through the .sacraments and chiefly 
through Holy Mass. The greater our spirit of pen¬ 
ance, the more abundantly will the Lord endow us 
with heavenly grace. The more zealously we there¬ 
fore perform these three kinds of good works, the 
more abundantly will we draw grace upon grace from 
this inexhaustible source of blessings. If by the per¬ 
formance of the least good work we receive a particu¬ 
lar grace through Holy Mass, and thus become sharers 
in the sacrificial fruit thereof, then who will presume 


On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 249 

to deny that our reward will be the greater, the greater 
the sacrifices that we have brought and the saintlier 
the lives that we lead ? If an alms is given for a low 
Mass, and if thereby a certain measure of the atoning 
merits of Christ is granted to the giver, who will pre¬ 
sume to assert that corresponding fruits are not ob¬ 
tained from the Holy Sacrifice, when the alms is in¬ 
creased five-fold, ten-fold, or more, to procure its cele¬ 
bration with a more solemn rite? The greater the 
alms that is offered, the more strongly the giver of the 
alms renounces the dangerous attachment to the goods 
of fortunes as well as their enjoyment; and he thereby 
also expresses his desire of uniting himself more fer¬ 
vently with the prayers of the Church, and his soul 
is thus better disposed to share in the sacrificial fruits 
of the Mass. The more elaborate the forms of the 
ritual, the greater piety and renunciation do they ex¬ 
press, and the more highly God Himself will be 
pleased with such worship. When Magdalen anointed 
the feet of our Lord with precious ointment. He 
praised her for it, saying, “She has wrought a good 
work upon me.” (Matth. xxvi. lo.) God also ex¬ 
pressed His pleasure at the sacrifice of Abel, and His 
displeasure at that of Cain. 

245. If the heavens were opened and the King of 
glory were to appear on the altar in visible splendor, 
how richly we would adorn the house of God to receive 
Him ! The fact that on the altar He veils His glory 
under the sacramental species, and comes to us in ob¬ 
scurity and humility to ..confer His grace, is surely no 
reason for honoring Him less; on the contrary the 
more He humbles Himself, the more strongly the 
gratitude of His children ought to feel itself spurred 


250 


Chapter III. 


on to enhance His Sacrifice and to adorn His altars 
with the best and richest ornaments at their disposal. 
Good Christians therefore willingly otfer the most 
select and beautiful productions of nature and art to 
our Savior in the Most Holy Sacrifice, in celebration 
of which the children of the Church militant vie with 
the glorious choirs of the blessed spirits who sing at 
the throne of the Lamb throughout all eternity a new 
canticle of praise and adoration : “To Him that sitteth 
on the throne, and the Lamb, benediction and honor 
and glory and power for ever and ever.” (Apoc. v. 
13.) The Church at all times was solicitous to sur¬ 
round this most sublime and august mystery of faith 
with all possible splendor, ordering the sacrificial act 
to be performed in a manner most conducive to the 
greater glory of God and to our own sanctification and 
salvation ; so that it depends only on us to satisfy the 
promptings of our zeal and devotion for the honor of 
God and our temporal and eternal welfare. If a 
Christian therefore, in his zeal and devotion, offers 
not only five times, but twenty-five times the amount 
of the usual alms, in order to have the Holy Sacrifice 
celebrated with greater solemnity—should he then 
not be entitled to expect a corresponding increase in 
his share of merit? For our own spiritual good our 
Savior limited the efficacy of this divine Sacrifice, in 
order that we might personally and individually parti¬ 
cipate in its celebration more frequently and with 
greater zeal: why then should a Christian not share 
in its sacrificial fruit the more abundantly, the more 
generously he contributes to have it celebrated ? 

246. The way of sacrifice is the royal way leading 
to a glorious goal in eternal life; even amid the trials. 


On the Means of Relieving the Stiffening Souls. 251 

troubles and sufferings of this way the Lord refreshes 
and quickens the souls. Hence the Christian is not 
content merely with the celebration of the Sacrifice^ 
but he extends his zeal to the sacred vessels and vest¬ 
ments and to the place where the Sacrifice is offered. 
If the people of Israel gladly and with willing hearts 
brought their offerings to build a temple to the Lord^ 
the children of the Church must do their utmost to 
honor their God veiled in the sacramental species, who 
for love of them so graciously condescends to appear 
among them in Holy Mass. It is for this reason that 
beautiful temples are erected to Jesus Christ, in which 
He is served by priests and levites in gorgeous vest¬ 
ments, in a splendor of lights, amid a profusion of 
flowers, the odor of incense, the solemn strains of 
chant and organ, and the harmonious peal of bells. 
While doing this the Church does not forget the 
living temples of the Holy Ghost; she is solicitous for 
the poor and distressed, because she recognizes in 
them Christ Himself. She acts on the principle of 
doing the one without neglecting the other. Even as 
early as in the first centuries the faithful made rich 
gifts for the service of the altar; but whenever dis¬ 
tress prevailed, or when the persecutors of the faith 
threatened to rob the treasures of the sanctuary, then 
the Christians converted these treasures into alms for 
the poor ; as we read for instance in the records of the 
martyrdom of St. Lawrence. The more liberally a 
person contributes to the adornment of the house of 
God, the greater is his share in the sacrificial fruit of 
Holy Mass. 

247. In the life of St. Theresa we find an apt 
illustration from which we can learn how pleasing to 


252 


Chapter III. 


God is the zeal for His house. Don Bernardino de 
Mendoza had donated to the saint a splendid estate in 
the neighborhood of Vadadolid for the purpose of 
founding a convent. Before the new convent was 
finished, he fell sick and was deprived of speech. He 
was unable to make his confession before death, and 
could indicate his contrition only by signs. St. The¬ 
resa was greatly distressed, for she was concerned for 
the salvation of his soul. Christ our Lord appeared 
to her, saying, “My daughter, th}" benefactor’s salva¬ 
tion was in great danger; but he found grace on ac¬ 
count of the donation he so magnanimously made to 
thee. Nevertheless, his soul shall not be released 
from Purgatory until the first Mass shall have been 
said in the new convent.” St. Theresa could not rest 
till the new convent was ready at least so far that Mass 
could be said within its walls. A temporary chapel 
was therefore provided, in which the first Mass was 
said on the following Sunday. At the communion 
the saint saw the soul of her benefactor surrounded by 
supernal splendor. He thanked her and told her he 
was about to enter heaven. 

248. The doctrine and practice of the Church both 
favor the theory that the efficacy of Holy Mass is en¬ 
hanced by the greater solemnity of its form and by the 
spirit of sacrifice evinced by the faithful for this pur¬ 
pose. The Church proclaims this her faith both in 
dogmatical definitions, in her official prayers and 
liturgy, and in her entire public worship, which latter 
culminates in High Mass. The Church lives, prays, 
and acts in faith and by faith. The belief of the Church 
in Purgatory, and in the efficacy of her intercession 
for the Suffering Souls, as also the maternal charity 



On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 

with which she is animated, find expression most 
clearly in her whole life, but especially in a solemn 
Requiem Mass. She directs the faithful to increase 
the alms for the celebration of Mass, thereby to con¬ 
duce towards an increase of its solemnity. Now, if 
the faithful would not receive a corresponding increase 
of sacrificial fruit by their increased alms, the Church 
would act unjustly towards them; the priest would 
even not be permitted to receive the full stipend for a 
low Mass, because in some countries more than one 
Mass is said for the sum to which it amounts. For 
this very reason some persons send their alms to other 
countries. They are impelled by self-interest, not by 
a desire of honoring God ; and so they lose the effect 
of the Mass. The Church’s design is not unfair, but 
holy and just, when she asks a greater stipend for a 
chanted or solemn High Mass; because according to 
the inscrutable will of Christ the measure of sacrificial 
fruit increases correspondingly with the augmentation 
of solemnity and the increased offering of the faithful. 
Jesus said, “Take heed of what you hear: In what 
measure you shall mete, it shall be measured to you 
again, and more shall be given to you.” (Mark iv. 24.) 

249. Sometimes, w^hen the faithful order High 
Masses to be celebrated, they are accused of vanity. 
They are told that “Mass is Mass,” and that 
it is useless and extravagant to have any other 
than a low Mass said. True, Mass is Mass; for our 
Divine Savior is offered in every Mass in the same 
manner. But the measure of sacrificial fruit varies for 
individuals; and therefore such expressions proceed 
either from want of knowledge or from indifference 
in matters of religion. If less costly sacred vessels, 


‘254 


Chapter III. 


etc., are used at Mass on account of poverty, or—as is 
the case with some religious Orders—from love of 
poverty; or if other circumstances necessitate a less 
solemn manner of celebrating Mass —such cases as 
these are certainly not to be censured. But if Holy 
Mass be thus celebrated from a motive of avarice or 
self-interest, or from negligence and carelessness, then 
every such celebration is a sure token of disregard and 
contempt for what to all true Catholics is the Most 
Holy in their religion. Whosoever does not entertain 
a deep sense of appreciation for the solemnity of divine 
service thereby gives conclusive evidence that his reli¬ 
gious life is at a low ebb ; and those who criticize the 
expense occasioned by the adornment of divine service 
and of the house of God, most nearly resemble the 
traitorous Judas. “Mary therefore took a pound of 
ointment of right spikenard of great price, and anointed 
the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair, 
and the house was filled with the odor of the oint¬ 
ment. Then one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, he 
that was about to betray Him, said, Why was not this 
ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to 
the poor ? Now he said this, not because he cared for 
the poor, but because he was a thief.” (John xii. 
3 — 6.) 

250. As a rule those of the faithful who are most 
charitable toward the poor are also most liberal in 
their contributions to the Church and for the purposes 
of solemn worship. They are solicitous to sanctify 
themselves not only for their own sake, but also for 
God’s sake. Hence they continually grow in zeal to 
have Mass celebrated, and to have it celebrated often. 
We are commanded to “pray without ceasing” (i. Thes. 


On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 255 

V. 17.); and so also mast the Holy Sacrifice be 
offered without intermission, in order that we may 
obtain its fruit and grace in ever increasing abundance. 
So God ordained it, because His glory and our salva¬ 
tion are both promoted by continual Sacrifice. Where 
the means and circumstances do not allow of a greater 
expense for Church purposes, our Lord takes the will 
for the deed. He was pleased with the mite of the 
widow, and regarded favorably the Good Thief’s 
prayer for pardon. The greater an exertion we there¬ 
fore make in gathering the alms for.Holy Mass, the 
more favor shall we find in the sight of God, and the 
more abundant will be our share in the sacrificial 
fruit. 

What has hitherto been said of the power and effi¬ 
cacy of Holy Mass demonstrates clearly that it is an 
inexhaustible source of grace. The admission to this 
source is easy and free to all. God in His mercy is 
anxious to enrich us with heavenly gifts and blessings. 
Oh, that our hearts were less attached to worldly mat¬ 
ters and cares ! Oh, that we would draw copiously 
from this inexhaustible source of Divine mercy ! If 
we only knew how to apply the Holy Sacrifice of Mass 
for our benefit, how soon we should be rich in grace! 
Hence it is most deplorable that there are so 
many who have no true conception of this sublime 
mystery, nor proper regard for it—that mysterious 
Sacrifice, which is the marvel and joy of heaven, and 
the consolation and salvation of the world. 

251. One day, when St. Francis Borgias was about 
to celebrate Mass, it seemed to him that he heard from 
far away the last sigh of a very dear deceased friend of 
his. He at once offered the Holy Sacrifice for him. 


256 


Chapter III. 


At the end of the Mass the departed soul of his friend 
appeared to him and said, “At the moment when you 
heard my sigh I gave my soul back to its Maker. I 
was sentenced to Purgatory and was already in the 
place of torment; the Holy Sacrifice which you just 
offered for me opened to me the gafes of heaven. 
I shall never forget your charity.” Oh, let us always 
remember this occurence; let us hasten to the relief 
of the Suffering Souls ! And as Holy Church, in the 
Council of Trent, recommended Holy Mass as the 
most efficient means of releasing souls from Purgatory, 
let us do our utmost, without ever flagging in our 
zeal, to make use of this means devoutly and often. 
Let us offer the Holy Sacrifice especially for those 
souls who are dear to us and have a claim on our love 
and gratitude. The efficacy of other means for the 
release of the Suffering Souls is attached to certain 
conditions, of whose sufficient fulfillment we can not 
be absolutely certain. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass 
however does not lose its value and efficacy even 
though the priest who offers it be unworthy to per¬ 
form the august rite. There is nothing that can im¬ 
pede the effects produced in virtue of its divine essence. 

§ 43. The Fruits of Holy Mass are not Granted Exclusively 
to the Soul for whom the Sacrifice is Offered. 

252. As we have seen, the main purpose and effect 
of Holy Mass is to render to God the worship of ador¬ 
ation and thanksgiving, of propitiation and impetra- 
tion, that mankind owes to Him ; at the same time one 
of its essential qualities is, that it can be offered up 
for man himself to promote his bodily and spiritual 


On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 257 

welfare. Among the many effects of Holy Mass there 
are graces, spiritual benefits and blessings, temporal 
gifts and bounties, which God grants us in con¬ 
sequence of the offering of this Sacrifice; all of which 
may in a real and full sense be called sacrificial fruits. 
To these fruits we refer as a rule when we say that 
the Sacrifice was offered for the benefit of someone. 
To offer the Sacrifice for someone may also mean that 
we offer it in somebody’s name, or in place of some 
other person. As a Sacrifice of propitiation and impe- 
tration Hol}^ Mass has for its special aim the profit 
and advantage of the person for whom it is offered; 
for by its power of atonement and intercession it pro¬ 
cures for him goods and benefits of all kinds. To 
these blessings we make reference when we speak of 
participating in the fruits of the Sacrifice. 

253. Among the partakers of these fruits we 
usually number the following: the whole Church, the 
sacrificing priest, all those for whom the priest offers 
the Sacrifice in a special manner, and finally the faith¬ 
ful assisting'at Mass. The participation in the fruits 
of Holy Mass may therefore be fourfold: general, par¬ 
ticular, mediate and special. Every time the Holy 
Sacrifice is offered it obtains its effect and profit for 
the whole Church, for all the members of the mystic 
body of Christ who are still in need of the help of 
grace, be they living or dead. Holy Mass is always 
the highest act of general homage offered to God by 
the whole Church. Our Divine Savior left it to her as 
His most precious legacy, to be her most fruitful 
source of grace, aid and consolation. 

254. This general fruit of the Sacrifice is not 

granted to all the members of the Church in the same 

18 =^ 


258 


Chapter III. 


manner and degree. Those who take a more or less 
personal part in the sacrificial act and who are there¬ 
fore in a certain sense co-ordinate ministers of its 
offering, without doubt receive more abundant bless¬ 
ings not only because of their co-operation in the act 
of offering, but also in virtue of the divine efiicacy of 
the Sacrifice itself. While the whole Church shares 
in the general fruit of Mass, its particular fruit is 
granted to the ministering priest; for as it is he who 
takes the place of Christ and performs the Sacrifice in 
His name, it is obvious that a particular fruit should 
be granted to him. The mediate fruit is gained b}' 
those for whom the priest as the representative of 
Christ offers the Sacrifice in a special manner. It has 
always been customary in the Church to offer the Holy 
Sacrifice for the particular intentions of the faithful. 
Holy Mass is their secure haven of refuge in all their 
needs and distresses, and hence they have always been 
most solicitous that Holy Mass should be offered for 
them and for others in life and after death. Finally, 
those of the faithful who are present at the celebration 
of Mass are granted a special fruit. Among the 
various ways of participating in the celebration of the 
Holy Sacrifice, personal and actual presence at it de¬ 
serves special mention. Those present in this wise 
have so much the greater share in its essential fruit, 
the greater their devotion and purity of heart; and 
this is their special fruit. 

255. More meritorious than to be actually present 
at Mass is to contribute for the purpose of its cele¬ 
bration. As Holy Mass is an invaluable divine work, 
and as God is infinitely pleased with its celebration, it 
is self-evident that we perform a very good work and 


On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 259 

obtain the richest graces, if we cause a Holy Mass to 
be celebrated for ourselves or for others, living or dead. 
By ordering it we are the cause of its celebration—and 
the result is, that the adorable Son of God is offered 
anew to His Heavenly Father; that He is as it were 
born again for the purpose of renewing this sublime 
mystery ; that this most meritorious Sacrifice is offered 
up, whereby the Most Holy Trinity receives infinite 
glory; that the .saints in heaven obtain ineffable joy, 
the Suffering Souls in Purgatory-are granted refresh¬ 
ment and release, and all the faithful on earth are so 
to say flooded with grace and mercy. What gracious 
return will our Heavenly Father not make to us for 
causing such infinite joy to the whole celestial court? 
—Pious Christians who have the means will therefore 
have a Mass said from time to time for themselves and 
their families, for this or that intention ; and others 
who have not the means will ask their friends among 
the priests for charity’s sake to say a Mass for their 
intention. That they do well, no good Christian will 
dare to deny. 

256. It is certain therefore that the giver of an 
alms for a Holy Mass acquires an ample store of 
merits by having such a great Sacrifice renewed 
through his own personal effort. To the Suffering 
Souls he can cede only that part of these merits which 
atones for temperal punishments. The greater his 
participation in the Holy Sacrifice, the more abundant 
fruit will he receive for himself or the Suffering Souls 
for whom he caused Ma.ss to be celebrated. If he as¬ 
sists at the Mass which he ordered, his merit is in¬ 
creased ; he hastens to the fountain with a larger 
vessel to receive a more plentiful share of the special 


260 


Chapter III. 


and essential fruit of the Sacrifice. And if he receives 
holy communion during the Mass, his share of merits 
will be much greater still. Hence there is in many 
churches a general monthly communion for the relief 
of the Suffering Souls during a High Mass ordered by 
the Poor Souls’ Confraternity. 

Theologians consider the tree of life which stood 
in the midst of paradise, “bearing twelve fruits, yield¬ 
ing its fruit every month, and the leaves of the tree were 
for the healing of nations” (Apoc. xxii. 2.), as being a 
symbol of the Most Holy Eucharist. Now, if the 
Blessed Sacrament is symbolized by the fruits of this 
tree, it is obvious that this custom of monthly com¬ 
munion must be very praiseworthy and salutary. By 
Holy Mass and by the application of indulgences the 
Suffering Souls share not only in the satisfactions of 
individual persons, but also and in a special manner in 
the merits of Jesus Christ, procured for them by the 
agency of the Church, His most pure Spouse; and 
there can be no doubt that God accepts them. Never¬ 
theless their acceptance is not an unconditional one, 
but is dependent on the incrutable designs of His 
Providence, and perhaps also on the zeal which the de¬ 
ceased showed during life in making themselves 
worthy of this assistance. Yet they always receive 
great relief and refreshment as often as these spiritual 
treasures are gained for their benefit. 

§ 44. What Formulas does the Church Use in 
Masses for the Dead? 

257. The Church through her priests not only 
celebrates the Holy Sacrifice of Mass, but joins with 
it various prayers and ceremonies. True, any formula 


On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 261 

of Mass can be used in the celebration of a Mass for 
the faithful departed; but the Church in her tender 
maternal solicitude for the Suffering Souls ordained 
the use of certain formulas which are more efficacious 
in attaining their object than the Mass of the day. 
The Roman Missal contains four formulas of Masses 
for the Dead : one for All Souls’ Day; one for the day of 
death or burial, which is also used with proper orations 
on the third, seventh and thirtieth day after the death or 
burial; one for the anniversary of death ; and the daily 
Mass of Requiem, which may be said on all days when 
the rubrics permit it. It is a praiseworthy custom, ob¬ 
served by all good Christians, always to unite a Mass of 
Requieni^iOn the burial service; someeveil have Masses 
said for their deceased the day before the burial. The 
Mass on the third day is intended to remind us of the 
symbolical meaning of the figure three: on the third 
day Christ rose from the dead ; the departed soul also 
expects and ardently longs for the coming resurrection ; 
even now we are engaged in praying for its delivery 
from the abode of purification. The soul is more¬ 
over the image of the Tri-une God, and as such is to 
to purified by the efficacy of the Holj^ Sacrifice, so that 
this image may shine forth in full splendor. And 
lastly, the departed soul incurred guilt in a three-fold 
manner—by thought, word and deed; against God, the 
neighbor and self.—The Mass of the seventh day sym¬ 
bolizes the eternal sabbath, the everlasting rest of the 
departed ; hence the Church prays to God that He 
would in His mercy grant eternal rest to the departed 
soul by receiving it into the everlasting mansions.— 
The thirtieth day is observed in imitation of the Israel¬ 
ites who mourned Moses and Aaron for thirty days. 


262 


Chapter III, 


Besides this Christ was baptized in His thirtieth year, 
and with the thirtieth year we ourselves attain the age 
of maturity.—And finally, the character of the anni¬ 
versary Mass is fully expressed in its name: it is the 
annual remembrance of those who have gone before 
us, and for whom we implore the sleep of peace. 

258. Special mention is to be made of the so-called 
Gregorian Masses. They have not a formula of their 
own. They are simply a series of Masses to be said 
for a departed soul on thirty consecutive days. The 
origin of this custom is related by St. Gregory the 
Great as follows: Justus, a monk of St. Gregory’s 
monastery, had retained some money in violation of 
the established rule. As a punishment for this infrac¬ 
tion of the vow of poverty the saint ordered him to be 
buried in unconsecrated ground. After a time he felt 
compassion for the poor brother, and asked the Abbot 
Pretiosus to celebrate Mass for thirty consecutive days 
for the repose of his soul. As soon as this had been 
done, the departed monk appeared to Brother Copiosus 
and informed him of his release from Purgatory. And 
thus, observes Cavalieri, the custom arose of celebrat¬ 
ing the thirty Gregorian Masses. It was sanctioned 
on the 28th of October, 1628, b}" the Sacred Congrega¬ 
tion of Rites. It is observed in some European coun¬ 
tries, and by the Benedictine Order in general. 

259. Other ancient customs concerning Masses for 
the dead are the following : Six or seven Masses are 
said for the departed soul, thereby to commemorate 
the mysteries of our Lord’s passion ; hence they are 
called the “Passion Masses,” or the six or seven “Mas¬ 
ses of St. Gregory,” who is regarded as the originator 
of the custom. The first of the Masses is said on 


On the J/eans of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 203 

Palm Sunday, to honor the voluntary capture endured 
by our Savior, and to implore Him to break the bonds 
of the captive souls in Purgatory. The second is said 
on the following Tuesday in memory of Christ being 
sentenced to death ; and He is implored to mitigate 
His rigorous but just punishment of the deceased. 
The third is said on Wednesday in memory of our 
Lord’s crucifixion ; and He is implored by the pangs 
He suffered while being nailed to the cross to grant re¬ 
lief to the Suffering Souls in their torments. The 
fourth and fifth are votive Masses during which the 
Passion of our Lord according to St. John is read. 
The sixth is said on Holy Saturday in memory of 
the resurrection of Jesus, to obtain for the Suffering 
Souls a participation in the triumph and glory of the 
Redeemer. The seventh Mass commemorates the As¬ 
sumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, to implore her 
intercession for the souls in Purgatory. 

g 45. On what Days are Requiem Masses 

Permitted? 

260. The use of the formula of the Requie 7 n Mass 
is restricted to certain days. The permission to use 
this formula depends on the general rules of the 
Church concerning the celebration of the Holy Sacri¬ 
fice, and on the special privileges granted to certain 
countries, dioceses and individual priests. Hence a 
direct and explicit answer to the above question can 
not be given. All that can be said is, that low Masses 
of Requiem are permitted on many days; that there 
are few days on which a High Mass of Requiem is 
prohibited ; and that High Mass of Requiem at burials, 
with the corpse present, is permitted every day except 


264 


Chapter III. 


on great feasts. If for some adequate reason the 
corpse cannot be brought to church, for instance on 
account of the infectious character of the deceased’s 
illness, etc.—then in such a case also the Requiem 
High Mass at burial may be used, the same as if the 
corpse were present.—For explicit information whether 
the Mass of Requie^n can be said on a certain day, let 
every one apply to his pastor. 

261. In virtue of a special privilege some priests 
have the faculty of saying the Mass of Requiem several 
times a week, which is otherwise contrary to the gen¬ 
eral rule of the Church.—In the former kingdom of 
Arragon in Spain, and on the isle of Majorca which be¬ 
longed to it, there obtains a privilege in virtue of which 
secular priests are permitted to celebrate two Masses 
on All Souls’ Day, while religious are even allowed to 
say three. The Dominicans in Pampeluna also have 
this privilege. Repeated applications to the Holy See 
to extend this privilege throughout the whole world 
were answered in the negative. Thus by Pope 
Urban VIII., Clement IX. and Clement XI. 

§ 46. What is Better—to Wait for a Day on which the 
Mass of Requiem is Permitted, or to have the Mass 
of the Day Said for the Deceased ? 

262. It was explained in a former paragraph, that 
the supplicatory efficacy of the Holy Sacrifice is en¬ 
hanced by the formula of the Mass, and that the litur¬ 
gical prayers of these formulas have due reference to 
the intention for which the Mass is said, in con¬ 
sequence whereof the favor petitioned for is more 
speedily and surely attained. Such proper formulas 


On the Meafis of Relieving the Suffering Souls, 265 

are those of Requiem^ and such votive Masses as do 
not correspond with the feast of the day. Every day 
throughout the year the Church celebrates the memory 
of some mystery of the faith or of some saint, which 
feasts have either a proper or a common formula of the 
Mass. If a Reqiimn or votive Mass is said, the feast 
must give way to it and accordingly remains unnoticed. 
In some cases the Church permits this. And because 
votive and Requiem Masses have a greater intercessory 
power, their celebration is requested often; for in¬ 
stance, the Mass of the Blessed Virgin, of St. Joseph, 
of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, etc. For the same 
reason Requiem Masses are frequently solicited by the 
faithful. Now on certain days the Church does not 
permit the omission of the Mass of the day, and hence 
arises the question : What is better—to say the Mass 
of the day for the intention of the person ordering its 
celebration, or to wait for a day on which the Requiem 
or votive Mass can be said ?—The Church herself is 
our surest guide in answering this question, and her 
answer is contained in her decrees and ordinances. 

263. On the 5d of March, 1761, the S. Congrega¬ 
tion of Rites declared that a priest who took upon 
himself the obligation of saying a votive or Requiem 
Mass, does not fulfil this obligation by saying the 
Mass of the day, on days when private votive and 
private Requiem Masses are permitted. This must be 
understood as pertaining to the entire fulfillment of 
his obligation; for the question concerns not the 
proper and essential fruit of the Mass, but an inci¬ 
dental one. The precept of saying votive Masses on 
days when they are permitted binds more strictly than 
that of saying Masses of Requiem on such days. 


266 


Chapter III. 


Hence St. Alphonsus Liguori in his book on the cele¬ 
bration of Mass says, that a priest taking upon himself 
the obligation of saying a Mass in honor of a certain 
mystery or saint is by this very act obliged to say the 
votive Mass. If he can not do so, let him instruct the 
giver of the stipend to be content with the Mass of 
the day said for his intention. According to the same 
holy doctor a Mass ordered in honor of some mystery 
or saint is to be understood in a strictly liturgical 
sense, even if the faithful requesting such a Mass do 
not know the difference between the Mass of the day 
and a votive Mass. Hence it is obvious that the Church 
does not consider the celebration of the day’s Mass as 
satisfying the obligation of saying a votive Mass; and 
therefore the votive Mass must always be said when¬ 
ever there is an obligation to do so, provided the 
rubrics permit it to be done. 

264. As regards private Requiem Masses however, 
the case is different. On days when they are not per¬ 
mitted, the obligation is fully satisfied by substituting 
the Mass of the day, as the S. Congregation of Rites 
has repeatedly declared. For the Church has decided 
that a priest satisfies his obligation of saying a Mass 
for the dead when he observes the unprivileged rite of 
the day, even though a Reqiiieyn Mass be allowed on 
that day—provided a Requiem Mass has not been ex¬ 
pressly asked for, or such a Mass is not required by 
the one who gave the stipend to gain the indulgence 
of a privileged altar. {S. Rit. Coiigreg., 12. Sept., 1840.) 
The reason why the obligation is fulfilled in the one 
case and not in the other lies in the fact, that in Masses 
of Requiem regard is had principally to the efficacy of 
the atonement, which is independent of the rite; 


On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 267 

whereas in votive Masses the intercessory fruit is the 
first object sought to be attained. 

265. This being so, a brief consideration of the 
torments of Purgatory will suffice to answer the ques¬ 
tion. The soul in the torments of Purgatory is in 
need of assistance, and Christian charity urges us to 
come to its aid as soon as possible. True charity per¬ 
mits no delay; it eagerly uses every means at hand to 
relieve the Suffering Soul; it discerns in Holy Mass 
a means more efficacious for this end than any other. 
Requiem Masses are more beneficial to the souls in 
Purgatory than are the Masses of the day because their 
formulas are expressly arranged for the purpose of 
assisting them. Nevertheless we should not defer the 
Holy Sacrifice because a certain day or a certain time 
does not allow a Requiem Mass to be said. If a mem¬ 
ber of our family or a friend were attacked by illness, 
would it not be cruel to refuse the application of less 
effective remedies in case the physician could be called 
only after some days ? Thus also the delay in giving 
relief to the Suffering Souls is an unpardonable 
cruelty. Their condition demands speedy relief, and 
they implore us for it. 

266. A Dominican on his death-bed asked one of 
his friends, a priest, to say a Mass for him immediately 
after his death. He had scarcely expired, when the 
priest celebrated the Holy Sacrifice for him. After 
Mass his deceased friend appeared to him and bitterly 
complained that he had been obliged to suffer in Pur¬ 
gatory for thirty years. “Thirty years!” replied the 
priest. “ Why, it is scarcely an hour since you died ; 
your corpse is still warm.” The deceased answered, 
“Team from this, my friend,how painful the torments 


268 


Chapter III. 


of Purgatory are, when suffering them scarcely an 
hour seems to be thirty 3^ears; and therefore have 
compassion on us.” 

The torture of the Poor Souls in Purgatory being 
most intense, it can not be urged too earnestly that 
we do as speedily as possible what we intend to do for 
their relief. If charity would prompt us to spend one 
thousand dollars to release a man imprisoned for debt, 
and we would pay only one dollar ever}^ week, it 
would take years before he would gain his liberty; 
but if the whole amount were paid at once, he would 
be set free immediately. Let us apply the simile. 
Since the Church has repeatedly declared that a priest 
satisfies his obligation by saying the Mass of the day 
instead of a Keqidem Mass, is it not far better to have 
many Masses celebrated, either of the day or of Re¬ 
quiem, by a great number of priests and at various 
places, than only one every week, and in one place and 
by one priest? Undoubtedly it is. We should how¬ 
ever always request that the Masses be said as Requie 7 n 
whenever the rubrics permit it. 

267. From what has been said on this subject it 
is obvious how heartless those are who neglect entirely 
or delay beyond a reasonable time the payment of 
pious legacies entrusted to them. The learned canonist 
Reiffenstuel, citing Laymann, Sylvester and other 
renowned theologians, declares such persons guilty of 
mortal sin; also those who for the same reason fail to 
carry out in due time the constitutional provisions of 
pious associations for the relief of the Suffering Souls. 
The term of six months granted to testamentary ex¬ 
ecutors by canon law is a privilege exempting from 
statutory penalties only, not one excusing from sin. 


On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 269 

While such an executor or officer of a pious associa¬ 
tion delays the celebration of Masses or the distribu¬ 
tion of alms, the soul of the testator is suffering ex¬ 
cruciating torments. 

268. Such dilatory heirs and executors are some¬ 
times punished by God even in this world for their 
neglect, and in the next world the full rigor of 
divine justice will visit these defrauders of the dead. 
“Judgment without mercy to him that hath not done 
mercy.” (James ii. 13.)—In the time of Charlemagne 
a brave warrior, who had fought on all the battlefields 
of Europe, before dying said to one of his relatives, 
“ My possessions consist solely in my arms and my 
horse; why then should I make a last will ? The arms 
shall be yours, but sell the horse and divide its price 
between priests and the poor. Tet the former cele¬ 
brate Masses and the latter pray for me.” The relative 
promised to do so. After the burial he took the horse 
with the intention of selling it. But as it was of 
greater value than the arms, he bethought himself 
that there was nothing to prevent him from keeping it 
for a while. Perhaps it would bring a higher price 
after some time which would eventually result to the 
advantage of his deceased friend. So he used it to 
make a few journeys: why should it remain idle ? he 
thought. Thus days, weeks and months passed by, 
and the man no longer remembered his promise. But 
he was effectually reminded of it. One day the de¬ 
ceased appeared to him and reproved him severely, 
predicting that he would soon die of a terrible disease 
and amid excruciating pains, and would have to suffer 
still greater torments in the next world. A few days 
later the man fell sick. He called for a priest, whom 


270 


Chapter III. 


he informed of his misdeed and of the apparition, 
made a sincere and contrite confession and died 
penitently. There is no doubt that the other part j 
of the prediction came true also, and that he had to J 
suffer the penalty of his neglect. ^ \ 

Let us therefore fulfil our obligations toward the j 
deceased as soon as possible ; let us have the Mass of | 
the day said if the rubrics do not permit a Requiem | 
Mass. It is a supreme Sacrifice of atonement in what- ; 
ever form it is celebrated. 

§ 47. What is Better—to Found one or more Masses 

for Our Deceased, or to Devote the Amount • 

to Manual Stipends? 

269. “Founding a Mass” means to invest a certain 
sum of money for the purpose of having a Mass cele¬ 
brated annually or monthly for all time to come, or 
for a definite number of years. Manual stipends are 
alms for Masses to be celebrated for a soul imme¬ 
diately after death.—We find the answer to the above 
question in Pasqualigo’s work on “The Holy Sacrifice 
of Mass.”—Although some are of the opinion that 
foundations are preferable to manual stipends, this 
author favors the general opinion of the theologians, 
which contends that manual stipends should be pre¬ 
ferred. He supports this opinion by the doctrine that 
the atoning fruit for the remission of punishment is 
always obtained by him for whom the Sacrifice is of¬ 
fered, provided he is capable and well disposed. This is 
always the case with the Souls in Purgatory. The more 
Masses are said, and the earlier after death they are 
said, the more speedily will the soul be released from 




On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Son/s. 271 

Purgatory; hence, as far as the atoning effect comes 
into consideration, it is preferable to devote the amount 
to manual stipends. Concerning this matter St. Tho¬ 
mas says, “As pertaining to this question, we must 
distinguish well between the value which an action 
has in virtue of the acting person and that which it 
has of itself. In ordering Masses^ whether manual or 
founded ones, the person ordering receives his reward 
as soon as the order has been given ; but the effect 
caused by the Mass as such is obtained only when it 
is offered as a propitiatory Sacrifice. Alms given to 
the poor for a departed soul move to intercession only 
after they have been received.” 

270. Another question, answered by Pasqualigo, must 
not escape our consideration. It is this: “Are thirty 
Masses, said on one day, of more benefit to a soul than 
thirty Masses .said on thirty consecutive days?” The 
answer is : Concerning the atoning effect theie is the 
only difference that in the former case the effect is 
obtained at once, while in the latter case it is dis¬ 
tributed over thirty days. In this case, however, 
the perseverance in the celebration of the Sacrifice 
is added to the atonement, and this may undeni¬ 
ably exert some influence with God, the same as 
prayer would do in such a case ; and hence it is pos¬ 
sible that thirty consecutive Masses may be sufficient 
for the release of a soul from Purgatory, while on the 
contrary they would not have had the same effect 
without this perseverance. From this it is evident 
that founded Masses, like manual stipends, are sus¬ 
tained by grave reasons. Although the Suffering 
Souls receive a more speedy relief by the latter, the 
former nevertheless have advantages not to be over- 


272 


Chapter III. 


looked. The founding of annual, monthly or weekly 
Masses for a certain time or forever is very meritori¬ 
ous, because the celebration of Mass for so long a time 
is an augmentation of divine worship. Besides, the 
founding of Masses is ever characteristic of devotion 
and charity, because thereby the service of God is pro¬ 
moted, and poor priests and churches are assisted for a 
certain time or forever. Hence the theologian Quarti 
favors such foundations. 

271. Other good works may also be founded for 
the relief of the Suffering Souls; for instance chari¬ 
ties, churches, convents, schools, etc. Such founda¬ 
tions are indeed very salutary and beneficial, but care 
must be taken that they are made in such a manner 
that the attainment of their effect is rendered morally 
certain. If the conditions of such foundations are 
liable to misconstruction, litigations, circumventions, 
etc., are the result; and no wonder then, that persons 
become distrustful of exposing their benefactions to 
such dangers.—There is nothing to offset and ennoble 
the accumulation of property so much as the bequeath¬ 
ing of it to charitable and humane purposes, provided 
such bequests be made from supernatural motives.— 
What is more consoling than to be morally certain 
that long after our mortal remains have mouldered in 
the grave, our souls will be refreshed in Purgatory or 
enjoy their reward in heaven, while our good work for 
the relief of suffering in this and the next world is still 
going on ? 

272. Such foundations are living monuments of 
which it can truly be said that they are “more durable 
than brass;” they are lasting by reason of their very 
nature and object. Monuments in the shape of works 


071 the Means of Relievhig the Suffering Souls, 273 

of art receive their value not only from the artist who 
conceived and fashioned them according to the rule of 
esthetics, but also from their ethical fitness, as indicat¬ 
ing the character of the person to whose memory they 
were raised. Foundations made in a spirit of Chris¬ 
tian charity have for their patron Jesus Christ, who 
alone can give them a true and everlasting value; 
they are moral works of art inspired by the Divine 
Artist who conceived and executed the works of crea¬ 
tion and redemption. What, then, can redound more 
to His honor, than to raise to Him such monuments as 
Masses, prayers, charities, etc., for the relief of the 
Suffering Souls? In the religion of Jesus Christ we 
find the material for such monuments, and His spouse. 
Holy Mother Church, lends her hand for their execu¬ 
tion. 

273. What a consolation for a child to have the 
memory of a dear father, a beloved mother perpetuated 
by such a monument! When our dear departed rela¬ 
tives, yes, when perhaps we ourselves are already en¬ 
joying that supreme bliss which knows no end--may 
it not be possible that the spiritual monument we 
founded on earth will continue to glorify God and His 
Church ? and that it will be a consolation for us even 
in the eternal mansions, as also for our descendants in 
this vale of tears ? 

To reach a practical conclusion concerning manual 
stipends and foundations of Masses, we say : Have as 
many Masses said for your deceased immediately after 
their death as your circumstances will allow; then, in¬ 
stead of squandering your money on an extravagant 
funeral and a costly monument, devote it to make a 
pious foundation, thereby to obtain the release of your 

19 * 




274 


Chapter' III. 


dear ones from Purgatory, and to aid all the Suffering 
Souls. Thus you will gain for them the benefit of 
both kinds of suffrage, and at the same time raise to 
them and to yourself a truly Christian monument. 

§ 48. What is a Privileged Altar? 

274. In his book on Indulgences Beringer defines 
a privileged altar as follows : “A privileged altar is 
one which is endowed by special favor of the Pope 
with the privilege of imparting a plenary indulgence 
to the priest who says Mass there, which indulgence 
is to be offered by way of suffrage for a soul departed 
in the state of grace; so that this soul is released from 
the torments of Purgatory by application of the merits 
of Jesus Christ, the Blessed Virgin and all the saints.” 
This definition is in full accord with a Brief of Pope 
Pius VI., dated August 30, 1777, in which the grant 
of such a privilege is explained as follows: “Every 
time a priest, secular or regular, will celebrate Mass 
on this altar, we grant to the soul of the departed 
faithful for whom the Holy Sacrifice is offered an in¬ 
dulgence by way of suffrage, so that the soul is released 
from the torments of Purgatory by virtue of the treas¬ 
ury of the Church; that is, by application of the merits 
of Jesus Christ, the Blessed Virgin and all the saints.” 

275. This privilege is local; that is, it is restricted 
to a certain place, viz. to the altar for which it was 
granted. The same privilege however may be granted 
also to a priest personally, and then it is called a per¬ 
sonal privilege of the altar. A personal privilege of 
the altar therefore means that the indulgence is not 
connected with a certain altar in a certain church, but 
with the person of the priest; so that a plenary indul- 


On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 275 

gence is gained through a Mass said by a priest thus 
favored as if he had said the Mass at a privileged altar. 

To gain such an indulgence the following con¬ 
ditions must be observed: 

a) The Mass must be said for the soul of the per¬ 
son to whom we intend to apply the indulgence. 

b) The privilege of the altar can be applied only 
to one soul, even when the Mass is said for several or 
all the faithful departed. 

c) The priest celebrating Mass at a privileged altar, 
or having the personal privilege of such an altar, may 
apply the ordinary fruits of the Mass to several souls; 
but he must single out at least in his mind the soul of 
a particular person in Purgatory to whom he intends 
to apply the privilege of the altar, or the indulgence 
gained by this Mass. 

d) On days when it is permitted the priest must say 
the Mass of Requiem in black vestments, when he in¬ 
tends to apply the privilege of the altar to the soul of 
a deceased person. 

276. A difference between the indulgence of a 
privileged altar and other indulgences applicable to the 
souls in Purgatory is observable in the fact, that the 
gaining of the former is surer, because by the privilege 
of the altar the plenary indulgence is connected with 
the celebration of Mass, and is not dependent on the 
state of grace of the priest celebrating, or of the person 
ordering the Mass. This indulgence is a plenary one; 
and according to Beringer, it is sufficient of itself to 
procure to the soul for whom it is applied an imme¬ 
diate release from Purgatory, because the Supreme 
Pontiff, in virtue of his spiritual power, grants suffi¬ 
cient atonements and merits from out of the treasury 


276 


Chapter III. 


of the Church to cause the release of that particular 
soul. 

Another question is, whether or not this indulgence 
is applied in every case and in its full extent to the 
soul for whom it is intended. According to a declara¬ 
tion of the S. Congregation of Indulgences, July 28, 
1840, this application is beyond the power of the 
Church, and depends solely on the mercy of God. 
Since we can never know whether the indulgence of 
the privileged altar is obtained to its full extent by the 
soul to whom we intend to apply it, it is certainly bet¬ 
ter and more salutary to have several Masses cele¬ 
brated for our deceased, even if these Masses be said at 
a privileged altar. 

It is strictly forbidden to exact a larger stipend or 
alms for a Mass connected with the privilege of the 
altar than is allowed for an ordinary Mass of the same 
rite. A priest having accepted a stipend with the un¬ 
derstanding that the Mass is to be said at a privileged 
altar is bound in justice to say the Mass at that altar, 
and to apply it and the indulgence to the soul for 
whom the stipend was given and accepted. If how¬ 
ever the priest has the personal privilege, he may say 
the Mass at any altar. So the S. Congregation decided 
February 16, 1852; and this declaration was approved 
by Pius IX. March 15, 1852. 

§ 49. What is Meant by a “Memento”? 

277. In Catholic liturgy a Memento is the prayer 
which the priest says in Mass before consecration for 
such of the living, and after consecration for such of 
the dead, as were specially recommended to him, or 
for whom he himself intends to pray in a particular 


On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 277 

manner. The first is called the Memento of the Liv¬ 
ing, the second the Memento of the Dead. At present 
the priest makes these Mementos in silence; in the 
early Church the names of the persons to be remem¬ 
bered were read aloud to induce the faithful to unite 
their intercession with that> of the priest. It is still 
customary with the faithful to ask the priest to remem¬ 
ber them or their departed in this manner, or to 
“request a Memento.” 

278. Mementoy Dominey famulorum famularumque 
tuarnm N. et N.: “Remember, O Lord, Thy servants 
N. and N.”—with these words begins the Memento of 
the Living in the first prayer of the Canon, wherein 
the priest continues the special intercessions of the 
Holy Sacrifice. “Remember, O Lord!”—that is. Do 
not forget them, but regard them with loving care, 
grant them Thy grace and mercy, protect, favor and 
bless them.—The letters N. and N. are to remind the 
priest of those for whom he intends to pray in particu¬ 
lar ; he may silently pronounce their names, or remem¬ 
ber them only in thought. He is at liberty to remem¬ 
ber here whomsoever and as many of the living as he 
wishes. As the prayer of the Church, especially in 
connection with the Holy Sacrifice, is most efficient 
and powerful, the zealous priest will not omit to draw 
copiously on this treasury and to dispense its wealth 
in favor of all those who are dear to him, and for 
w'hom he is bound in justice, charity and gratitude to 
offer his prayers to God. The pious Memento in Holy 
Mass draws upon the faithful special divine fayors or 
blessings. Hence it is a great spiritual privilege and 
favor to be officially remembered in the sacred mys¬ 
teries ; it is a particular and personal presentation of 


278 


Chapter III. 


our needs before the whole court of heaven and at the 
throne of God. Next to the offering of Holy Mass 
itself for us and our intentions, a Memento is the 
greatest intercessory favor a priest can bestow 
on us. 

279. The Holy Sacrifice is to be offered to God in 
such a manner that He will not refuse its acceptance, 
but regard it with favor and receive it. This will be 
the case if God finds in the persons of those offering it 
nothing to displease Him; if on the contrary they 
are so pure, holy and immaculate, that they deserve to 
be included in and offered with the Most Holy Sacrifice 
of Christ. But our lives are not thus guiltless, our 
hearts not thus pure, nor is our devotion thus perfect. 
The Holy Sacrifice itself reminds us of our unworthi¬ 
ness; hence we beseech God to command the gifts on 
our altar to be carried by the hands of the holy angels 
to His altar on high. If our gifts are offered to God 
by angels’ hands, they cannot but be pleasing in His 
sight. Accordingly St. Chrysostom says (“On the 
Priesthood,” vi. 4.): “Angels surround the priest 
during those solemn moments, and they are joined by 
the whole heavenly choir; they bow in adoration be¬ 
fore Him who is present there as the Victim.” And 
continuing, the saint relates an apparition in which 
multitudes of angels were seen surrounding the altar, 
clothed in white garments and bowing in the manner 
of warriors in presence of their king.—It is the blessed 
office of the angels to praise and glorify God, and to 
assist mankind in attaining salvation : where can this 
twofold object be realized in a more successful man¬ 
ner than at the Holy Sacrifice? At the very time 
when the angels hover around the altar, the faithful 




Oji the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 279 

and their supplications are presented in the Memento 
to the majesty of God.—What an invaluable favor! 

280. As our Sacrifice is carried by angels’ hands 
from our altar to the altar of heaven, and is there 
united with the worship of the Blessed and brought 
before the throne of God, it becomes in the truest sense 
a fountain of living water, flowing from the blessed 
heights of heaven upon the earth and into the flaming 
abyss of Purgatory to refresh the languishing children 
of the Church. Hence the Church feels herself as it 
were compelled to implore the application of these 
saving spiritual waters. She remembers in her sup¬ 
plications all her children; and therefore, in the second 
Memento, she intercedes for the departed souls: “Be 
mindful, O Lord, of Thy servants N. and N., who are 
gone before us with the sign of faith, and rest in the 
sleep of peace.” Then particular mention is silently 
made of such of the dead as the priest intends to pray 
for ; after which he continues : “To these, O Lord, and 
to all that sleep in Christ, grant, we beseech Thee, a 
place of refreshment, light and peace. Through the 
same Christ our Lord.” 

281. This practice of praying for the faithful de¬ 
parted during the offering of the Holy Sacrifice origi¬ 
nated in apostolic times, as is demonstrated in the 
ancient liturgies and in the writings of the early 
Fathers. The liturgical Memento of the dead differs 
variously from that of the living, and is inserted at a 
different part of the Mass. The latter is made before, 
the former after consecration. The reason is this: 
the members of the Church militant can and ought to 
unite with the priest in offering the Sacrifice to God; 
and with the Sacrifice they can and ought to make an 


280 


Chapter III. 


offering also of themselves. Of this mention is made 
in the very words of the Memento. This is more ap¬ 
propriately done before consecration. The faithful de¬ 
parted however can no longer actually join in the cele- 
bration of the Sacrifice ; they can only gain and enjoy 
that part of its fruits which we cede to them. Hence it 
is most appropriate to remember them while the Victim 
is present on the altar. At this Memento the priest 
ought to remember some of the departed explicitly and 
by name to recommend them in particular to the mercy 
of God. Christ, dying on the cross, bowed His head: 
“And bowing His head, He gave up the ghost.” 
(John XIX. 30 ) Immediately after His death He de¬ 
scended into limbo to console the souls of the just. Of 
this the Church intends to remind us when she directs 
the priest by a special rubric to bow his head during 
this Memento; the priest then intercedes for the faith¬ 
ful departed, imploring that the saving Blood of the 
Victim may flow into Purgatory to mitigate and lessen 
the torments of the souls there confined. Therefore 
we ought to request our friends in the priesthood often 
to remember our dear departed ones and for this pur¬ 
pose mention their names to them. 

§ 50. What is Requisite to Have a Mass Celebrated for 

the Faithful Departed ? 

282. On Calvary the source of atonement for man¬ 
kind was opened, in Holy Mass it flows anew every 
day. From the Sacrifice of the Mass we can and 
ought to draw to obtain the favor and mercy of God 
and the remission of our guilt and its punishment. 
Of this evil we can be made free by Holy Mass; 
for by the cleansing laver of the most Precious Blood 



On the Means of Relievmg the Suffering Souls. 281 

our salvation was accomplished. In itself the effect 
of this most sublime Sacrifice is infinite. If we con- 
.sider how wicked and culpable before God even the 
least venial sin and wilful inclination to sin is; if we 
have a true conception of our misery and weakness, 
by which we so easily and so often commit venial sins 
and thereby increase our indebtedness to God ; if we 
remember the painful and prolonged torments of 
Purgatory ; if we contemplate the sufferings and death 
of our Lord caused by our sins and renewed daily in 
an unbloody manner in the Holy Sacrifice of Mass— 
then we will, with the utmost solicitude, improve the 
gracious ho~ur of this Sacrifice in order to be cleansed 
in the Blood of the Lamb. How ineffably merciful 
and good is God, since He renders it so easy for us to 
receive remission of sin and its punishment in this 
world, that we might be so much the more speedily 
admitted to the beatific vision of Christ in the next! 
Our Lord Jesus Christ suffers Himself to be immo¬ 
lated for you every day on the altar; He sacrifices Him¬ 
self for your deceased father, mother, relatives and for 
all the faithful departed. How easy for you to obtain 
atonement for yourself and all mankind through Holy 
Mass offered at your request by the priest! 

283. There is no doubt that a special fruit is 
granted to that particular soul for whom the Holy 
Sacrifice is especially offered. Hence it is an ancient 
practice of the Church to offer up the Holy Sacrifice 
for individual persons, living and dead. The contrary 
doctrine of the Synod of Pistoja was condemned by 
the Church. The faithful hasten to the altar to have 
the Holy Sacrifice offered for themselves; but the 
priests are not bound to celebrate a Mass gratis, even 


282 


Chapter III. 


though they ma}^ have promised to do so; that is, pro¬ 
vided the promise was not really a contract, but only 
the indication of a kindly disposition. However, they 
commit a venial sin if such a promise was made in 
earnest, and a mortal sin if they intended to bind 
themselves under pain of such a sin. But we need 
not hesitate to ask them for the celebration of the 
Holy Sacrifice, especially if we on our part are ready 
to obligate them by the reciprocal act of ofiering a 
stipend ; because if they accept it, they are bound in 
justice to say the Mass according to the intention of 
the giver. A priest who omits to say the Mass for 
which he has accepted a stipend, or who does not pro¬ 
vide for its celebration by another, is strictly obliged 
to make restitution. The acceptance of the stipend 
by a priest is therefore a sure indication that the Holy 
Sacrifice will be offered for the intention of the giver. 

284. The custom of offering stipends dates back 
to the earliest centuries, yea, to the very beginning of 
the Christian era. St. Cyprian reprimands a wealthy 
woman for coming to Church without bringing an 
offering. St. Augustine exhorts us “to bring offerings, 
for whosoever is able to do so and neglects it ought to 
be ashamed.” St. Epiphanias in the fourth century 
mentions a Jewish rabbi who was baptized, and after 
baptism gave a large sum of money to the bishop say¬ 
ing : “Offer up the sacrifice for me.” In the fifth 
century the daughter of Theodosius the Great called 
a certain priest named Barbatian from Rome to 
Ravenna. As he performed many miracles soon after 
his arrival, the people placed great confidence in him, 
and many asked him to say Mass for their intention. 
Amongst others a man named Julian and a woman by 


On the Means of Relieving the Su ffermg Souls, 283 

the name of Theodora each made an offering and 
asked the saintly priest to say Mass for them ; and 
they received divine help in their troubles. St. Gre¬ 
gory of Tours relates : Oltrogotha, consort of king 
Gilbert, and who died about the year 558, brought 
gifts early every morning for the purpose of having 
Masses said in honor of St. Martin. He also relates: 
Artallaidas, a daughter of the proconsul Lucius, in 
562, offered a number of gold coins on the altar of the 
Church of the Blessed Virgin, in Benevento, for 
Masses to be said in honor of our Lord. And again 
he mentions that many faithful ill of intermittent 
fever came to the tomb of St. Sigismund, brought gifts 
to the Church and had Masses said, whereupon they 
were restored to health. In the seventh century St. 
John the Almoner, who was made patriarch of Alex¬ 
andria in 610, one day received a sum of money from 
a father with the request to say Masses for the safe 
return of his son from a voyage across the seas. In¬ 
numerable other examples might be cited in confirm¬ 
ation of this custom of giving alms or stipends to 
priests in order that they might say Mass for a certain 
intention. 

285. As every well instructed Catholic knows the 
inestimable value of the fruits of Holy Mass, there are 
many devout and zealous persons who frequently give 
the stipend to have it celebrated. Once in a while it 
happens that a person requests the priest to offer the 
Holy Sacrifice without proffering the customary, 
stipend. For such persons as these the fourth Coun¬ 
cil of Lateran decreed : “Although the sacraments ac¬ 
cording to the spirit of Christianity are ministered 
gratis^ the faithful must nevertheless be requested to 


284 


Chapter III. 


give whatever is sanctioned by custom for such ser¬ 
vices ; and if they refuse to do so, the bishops must 
- enforce this rule by disciplinary correction.” But the 
Church was also careful to preclude all pecuniary 
speculation by means of the Holy Sacrifice on the 
part of both the people and the priests; she wished to 
prevent the former from giving little or nothing on 
account of avarice, and the latter from making them¬ 
selves guilty of the crime of simony by reason of the 
same vice. Hence the bishops were enjoined by the 
fourth Council of Lateran and by the Council of Trent 
to fix the amount of alms to be given as a stipend for 
the services of the priest. If therefore the faithful 
have occasion to engage the services of a priest, they 
ought not to ask for instance, “What does a Mass 
cost?” but, “What should I contribute for the ser¬ 
vice?” or, “What is the customary alms for the ser¬ 
vice?” To ask the price or cost of spiritual things 
indicates a want of religious education; spiritual 
things are not sold and are not for sale. 

286. The alms for the celebration of a Mass, also 
called a stipend or honorariuyii, is moreover a contribu¬ 
tion towards the support of the priest, and is pro¬ 
nounced as such by St. Thomas Aquinas. And St. 
Augustine writes, “The priests, by whose ministra¬ 
tion the faithful receive spiritual benefit, are to receive 
their support from those whom they serve ; but their 
reward the3^ receive from the Lord.” “Know you 
not,” says St. Paul, “that those who work in the holy 
place, eat the things that are of the holy place; and they 
who serve the altar, partake with the altar?” (I. Cor. 
IV. 13.) If therefore one of the faithful requests that 
the Holy Sacrifice be offered exclusively^ for his inten- 




On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 285 

tion, it is but meet and just that he act according to 
the injunctions of Holy Scripture and of the Church. 

If a priest accepts the stipend for a Mass he pledges 
himself by this very act to see that the Holy Sacrifice 
will be offered for the intention of the giver. The 
stipend must not be regarded as the price or equiva¬ 
lent of Holy Mass; this would be reducing the Holy 
Sacrifice to a commercial commodity, and would draw 
down the curse which came upon the sorcerer Simon : 
“Keep thy money to thyself to perish with thee: be¬ 
cause thou hast thought that the gift of God may be 
purchased with money.” (Acts vii. 20.) Finally the 
stipend may be regarded as a partial return for the 
time and care given to the faithful by the priest,, 
not only in ministering to their present spirit¬ 
ual wants, but also for years of study in order to be 
enabled to render them his services. Hence the 
stipend or alms for Masses should be given by the 
faithful to the pastors of their own congregation. 

287. If, then, you are earnestly desirous of shar¬ 
ing in this infinite treasury of divine grace, you will 
see from the preceding remarks that access to it is 
easy and open to all. God’s mercy is ever ready to 
fill us with heavenly gifts and blessings; would that 
we also were always anxious and ready to receive 
them ! If we but made use of these graces conferred 
for our benefit, how rich in merit we soon would be 1 
We could thereby release from their torments in¬ 
numerable souls in Purgatory. But our hearts are 
attached to the transitory things of this world; we 
prefer them to things heavenly. We are deplorably 
negligent in the service of Christ, despite the fact that 
He is our only hope of salvation, our Sanctifier and 


280 


Chapter III. 


Redeemer, the consolation of all wayfarers on earth 
and of the Blessed in heaven. How dreadful to think 
that so many have no regard for this saving mystery, 
which is the joy of Heaven, the hope of Purgatory, and 
the salvation of the world ! Incomprehensible blind¬ 
ness and callousness of the human heart, to slight so 
ineffable a gift, and to be led by its daily occurrence to 
regard it with indifference ! 

§ 51. Is there a Special Fruit Derived from Masses Cele¬ 
brated in Gratitude towards Benefactors? 

288. Sin having entered this world and laid a 
heavy burden on us exiled children of Kve, the pre¬ 
dominant religious sentiment of the soul is a craving 
for pardon, reconciliation and atonement. “ Have 
mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy, 
and according to the multitude of Thy tender mercies 
blot out my iniquities.” (Ps. l. 34.) This cry ascends 
to heaven from the heart of sinful man desirous of re¬ 
conciliation ; and it finds its truest expression in sac¬ 
rifice. Hence sacrifices of propitiation were the most 
numerous and conspicuous of the Old Law. Holy 
Mass, as being the consummation of all pre-Christian 
sacrifices, embraces all ends for which sacrifice is in¬ 
stituted, and must consequently also be a sacrifice 
of propitiation. In this respect the truth and essence 
of the New Law can not be inferior to the type and 
shadow of the Old Law. What was achieved on the 
cross for all mankind is applied in Holy Mass to indi¬ 
viduals ; for it is both a sacrifice of atonement and of 
impetration. Hence fervent Christians are intent on 
assisting at Mass as often as possible, and on having 


On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 287 

it offered for themselves and for others; they more¬ 
over improve every opportunity to gain a special share 
in the various Masses said for confraternities, societies, 
sodalities, etc., and offer the atonement merited there¬ 
by in favor of particular persons. Such societies are 
the Pious Union of Masses in honor of the Blessed 
Virgin Mary at Ingolstadt, Bavaria, for the members 
of which about 250,000 Masses are said every year, 
and in which they share if they order a Mass annually 
and observe the other rules of the Union. The “Work 
of Atonement,” called also the “Charity,” is a society 
for the relief of the Suffering Souls, for whom it has 
50,000 Masses said every year. There are a great 
number of such pious associations. 

289. Besides, there are other good works that en¬ 
gage the charity of the faithful, for instance the siip- 
port of home and foreign missions, the conversion 
of unbelievers, the maintenance of hospitals and chari¬ 
table asylums, etc. The founders and directors of 
such pious works for the relief of spiritual and tem¬ 
poral distress generall}" show their gratitude towards 
their benefactors by saying Masses or having Masses 
said for them. What better return could these godly 
persons make to their benefactors than to offer up for 
them the Holy Sacrifice of Mass, this inexhaustible 
source of grace? In our country there are many 
such institutions—asylums for homeless children, hos¬ 
pitals, colleges and seminaries for poor students etc.— 
for the charitable support of which a specified number 
of Masses are said every year. 

290. In many confraternities, societies, etc., the 
members are very zealous to share in the spiritual bene¬ 
fits accorded to them by the Church. These benefits 


288 


Chapter III. 


are very numerous. For instance: The members of 
the “Work of Atonement,” during life and after death, 
share in all the meritorious works of the Augustinians, 
Carmelites, Dominicans, Franciscans, Redemptorists. 
and Trinitarians in all their branches.—The members 
of the Confraternity of the Scapular of Mount Carmel, 
according to the Bull Ex clenieriti, of August 12, 1530, 
share in all the prayers and good works of the Car¬ 
melite Order.-—The members of the Archconfraternity 
of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ have a 
special share in all the good works and penitential 
exercises of all religious Orders and Congregations. 
(Rescript of September 20, 1852.) Moreover, the Holy 
See granted to these pious unions a great number of 
plenary and partial indulgences to be gained by the 
members on fulfilment of the conditions prescribed. 
Hence thousands upon thousands have united and 
still continue to unite themselves with these aggrega¬ 
tions for the purpose of sharing in their merits. 

291. By the communion of saints every member 
of the Church, when in the state of grace, partakes of 
all the spiritual benefits of the whole Church and every 
other member. Our spiritual advantage common to 
all members of the Church is faith. Faith itself has 
its source in the .superabundant and infinite merits of 
Christ. To the merits of Christ are added the merits 
of the saints, who as living members of the mystical 
body of Christ often gained more merits by their labors 
and sufferings than were sufficient for themselves. 
True, their merits are limited and cannot be com¬ 
pared with the merits of Christ in whom they orig¬ 
inate and who gives them their value; nevertheless 
they are an addition to His merits. These merits. 


On the A/eans of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 289 

which they gained over and above their own needs, 
are placed to the credit of the faithful on earth for 
themselves and the souls in Purgatory; not indeed in 
such a manner that the sanctity of the saints may be 
shared in by the faithful living in this world—for no 
individual can be good and holy for another—but in 
such a way, that the superfluous merits of the saints 
are ceded to the faithful on earth for the partial or 
entire remission of their own temporal punishments, 
or those of the Suffering Souls. The infinite merits 
of Jesus Christ and the supererogatory merits of the 
saints, taken collectively, form the spiritual treasury 
of the Church. 

292. The communion of the faithful on earth im¬ 
parts this advantage to the members thereof, that all 
who are in a state of grace share in all the Masses, 
prayers and good works which every one individually 
offers and performs. The faithful on earth therefore 
participate in all the spiritual goods of the Church, 
which derive their efficacy directly or indirectly from 
the merits of Jesus Christ and the saints. They all 
hear the preaching of the word of God, and are led on 
toward heaven by the priests, the representatives of the 
Good Shepherd; they have access to the holy sacra¬ 
ments, the conduits of heavenly grace; they receive 
by means of indulgences the partial or full remission 
of temporal punishment, and through the sacrament- 
als various benefits for soul and body ; they share in 
the prayers of the Church, and especially in all the 
Holy Masses celebrated every day throughout the 
whole world. What a wealth of treasures, Christian 
soul, treasures far surpassing in value the whole world 
with all its perishable goods! 


20* 


I 


290 


Chapter III. 


293. But this is not all. The faithful on earth 
share also in the prayers and good works which they 
perform and offer up for one another individually. 
For instance, a friend many miles away prays that 
God would grant you such and such a grace; another 
gives an alms with the intention that God should let 
you have its merit. God hears them both. He may 
not grant you the grace implored, but He will give 
you one far more salutary for you. Since the day 
when St. James wrote the words, “Pray one for an¬ 
other, that you may be saved, for the continual prayer 
of a just man availeth much” (James v. 16.)—since 
that day there always have been devout souls who 
made the general needs of Christendom the object of 
their special intercession. Thousands upon thousands 
pray for the young people, that they may not be mis¬ 
led; for the rich, that they may make good use of their 
wealth; for the sick, that they may profit by the visit¬ 
ation of God. Half a million priests daily recite their 
canonical office for the whole Church; there are con¬ 
fraternities for the assistance of the dying by prayer 
and good works; the convents that practise the Per¬ 
petual Adoration day and night implore divine merc}^ 
for the welfare of the whole Church. In all these 
prayers and works of individual piety and charity the 
faithful at large have a share. 

294. Sinners also profit by the communion of 
saints; for sin does not wholly exclude from it, because 
by sin we do not lose faith and hope, but only charity. 
But the spiritual benefits conferred on sinners through 
the communion of saints are restricted to the’means 
and graces of conversion placed at their disposal. Ex¬ 
cluded from the communion of saints are all those 


071 the Afeatis of Relievmg the SufferiTtg Souls. 291 

who do not belong to the Church, unbelievers, heretics, 
schismatics and excommunicated persons. The Church 
preaches and prays for them; but if they continue in 
separation, she cannot grant them further benefits; 
she must leave them to their fate. For the salvation 
of sinners within the pale of the Church the faithful 
offer up prayers and good works to obtain their con¬ 
version. The Church herself continues to exhort 
them, inviting them to reconciliation with God by the 
sacrament of Penance. She also prays for them, and 
offers for them the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. 

295. It is therefore the will of Christ and of the 
Church, that the Holy Sacrifice should always include 
the whole communion of the faithful. The general 
fruit of the Sacrifice is awarded to them by the very 
act of sacrifice performed by the priest, and hence 
a formal intention on his part is not necessary. Those 
who are excluded from the communion of saints have 
no share whatever in the general fruit of Sacrifice. 
Those who are in a state of mortal sin partake of these 
fruits in a less degree than the just who are full mem¬ 
bers of the mystical body of Christ; for Holy Mass 
always produces its effect for the benefit of the whole 
Church, for all still in need of the help of grace, living 
or dead. The chalice of the Precious Blood of Sacri¬ 
fice is daily lifted heavenward for the salvation of all. 
Jesus Christ shed His Blood and suffered the torments 
of the cross in order that all mankind might receive 
the knowledge of the truth and be saved by His grace 
and atonement. The source of grace and salvation 
flows incessantly and everywhere in the Holy Sacrifice 
of the Mass, and dispenses blessings to all the world. 
Into thousands of hearts—hearts that are perhaps not 


292 


Chapter III. 


even aware of it—the rays of supernatural illumination 
go out from the altar, to lead back to Christ, the great 
Bishop and Shepherd of souls, the erring sheep of His 
flock; to bring them back into the one fold, to the 
bosom of their Mother the Church, where the treas¬ 
ures of grace and the means to draw therefrom are 
open to all. 

296. The more the faithful endeavor by virtue and 
piety to render themselves capable of receiving these 
treasures; the more closely they unite their own 
prayer with the prayer of their brethren on earth, 
with that of the Church, and with the Hol}^ Sacrifice: 
the more abundant will be their share in the general 
fruits of the Sacrifice. For this reason good Christians 
every morning renew the intention to share in all the 
Masses celebrated throughout the world, which pious 
practice is a most salutary one and greatly to be com¬ 
mended ; for thereby they draw down on themselves 
the effects and fruits of this Holy Sacrifice. We 
remarked before that the general fruit of prayer and of 
the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, whether offered by 
the faithful at large or by the Church, is not granted 
equally and in like manner to all the members of the 
Church militant. Some receive a greater, some a 
smaller share, every one according to his disposition. 
Hence it would be wrong to remain placidly inactive, 
thinking to have one’s own indifference repaired by 
the zeal of others. Whosoever wishes to share in the 
benefits accruing to us from the communion of saints, 
must diligently perform his part in working out his 
salvation. 

297. Those of the faithful who co-operate proxi- 
mately or even remotely in the celebration of the Holy 


On the Means of Relieving the Su ffering Souls. 293 

Sacrifice and in the prayers of a confraternity or 
society, undoubtedly receive a share of heavenly bless¬ 
ings proportionate to their co-operation, not only by 
reason of the act and spiritual condition of the persons 
sacrificing and praying, but also in virtue of the essen¬ 
tial efficacy of the Sacrifice and prayer. These graces 
and blessings gained through the personal exertion of 
the faithful is sometimes called the special fruit in 
contra-distinction to the general fruit. Such special 
fruit is acquired for instance by members of Mass 
Associations, confraternities, etc. Through a special 
privilege granted by various Popes they also share in 
all the merits gained by the good works of the Orders 
and confraternities of the Church, and this not merely 
in an equal degree with all the faithful in general, but 
in a particular and much higher degree. 

Consider now, O Christian soul, how numerous and 
manifold are the good works performed by all the con¬ 
fraternities throughout the world, and remember that 
by being a member of the Archconfraternity of the 
Most Precious Blood you share in all of these good 
works, the same and as much as if you were really a 
member also of all the other confraternities. And 
besides this, remember, you have a special share also 
in all the other good works performed by the faithful 
in general—prayers, penitential exercises. Holy Mas¬ 
ses, works of charity, etc.,—as is evinced and con¬ 
firmed by the Bulls and Rescripts of the Supreme 
Pontiffs. 

298. To gratify their sensual desires, the rich of 
this world search all the countries of the earth for 
treasures that are vain and perishable. Should not 
we in like manner strive to gather the spiritual treas- 


294 


Chapter III, 


iires of merit flowing into the Catholic Church from 
all parts of the earth? The holy zeal of missionaries in 
the remotest quarters of the globe; the penitential | 
exercises of saints everywhere; the ardent aspirations j 
of pious souls in strict retirement; the thousands and 
thousands of Holy Masses said every day—behold, all 
*■ these contain priceless treasures of merit in which we 
can share and whereby we can enrich our Souls. And 1 
having thus enriched ourselves, we can cede these 
blessings to others. Parents can give them to their j 
children, husbands to their wives, wives to their hus- j 
bands, and friends to friends ; so we can favor one ^ 
another with gifts of inestimable value. By our prayer 
of intercession we can exert an incalculable influence ] 
on the affairs of the world, without ever leaving the 
humble sphere of our daily avocations; and thereby we 
contribute very greatly to promote the public welfare. 

Holy Mass is the most efficacious means of draw¬ 
ing upon ourselves and upon others the fulness of 
spiritual and temporal blessings. Being members of 
the communion of saints, we can share these blessings 
with others; and therefore thousands, yea, millions of 
the faithful have organized unions for the purpose of 
having Masses celebrated. Every one contributes his 
mite,‘and so he has a relative share in the many Masses 
that are celebrated for the various intentions of the 
members—for the conversion of sinners, for a sick 
member of some family, for the success of some under¬ 
taking, etc., or also for every member’s particular 
intention, either made privately or sent in writing to 
the respective directors together with the contribution. 
Such persons then receive a special share in these 
Masses, a share larger than that of the faithful generally 


On the Meajis of Relieving the Suffering Souls, 295 

in virtue of the communion of saints. The participa¬ 
tion in the fruits of these Masses depends for its mag¬ 
nitude on the co-operation, capability and devout dis¬ 
position of the member. 

299. We remarked before that both the givers as 

well as the recipients of a charity can mutually assist 

% 

one another by prayer, by good works, and by the Holy 
Sacrifice of the Mass. The directors of such charitable 
institutions do not collect money by promising the cele¬ 
bration of Masses, but they earn it honestly by their pub¬ 
lications, the proceeds of which they devote to the educa¬ 
tion of their wards. The Masses they cause to be cele¬ 
brated and the prayers which they engage to have said 
for their benefactors are an expression of their gratitude. 
These benefactors may be subscribers to the papers 
that are published by these institutions, or they may 
not be subscribers; to become benefactors and to 
share in the Masses and prayers, they must contribute 
a certain sum of money to the good work, for w^hich 
they receive in return the publications that are issued. 
For greater gifts God Himself becomes their debtor. 
The benefactors of such institutions know this very 
well, or at least they might know it. 

The recipients of charity offer up their prayers for 
their benefactors, imploring God to bless them here 
and hereafter, and to grant them for their salvation 
what they ask of Him ; and for this same intention the 
Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is offered a certain number 
of times. The benefactors therefore receive a special 
fruit from these prayers and Masses, in addition to the 
general fruit received with the faithful generally in 
virtue of the communion of saints.—The fruit which 
is imparted to those for whom the priest celebrates 


296 


Chapter III. 


Mass specially is called the ministerial or mediate 
fruit, as was observed in a former paragraph. 

300. Inasmuch as the priest is one of the ‘'min¬ 
isters of Christ and dispensers of the mysteries of 
God” (I. Cor. IV. I.), it is not only part of his faculty 
to celebrate the Sacrifice, but also to determine who 
shall receive its fruit. The celebrant of the Mass is at 
liberty to dispose of the mediate fruit for his own 
benefit, of for the benefit of others ; that is, it belongs 
to him alone to designate the persons that shall be 
specially benefitted by his Mass. The learned writer 
Pasqualigo says, “We maintain that it is the office of 
the minister to apply the fruits of the Sacrifice, so that 
he may apply to one a greater share of these fruits 
than he does to another. This is what is meant by the 
expression ‘to apply the Mass’.” The right and 
faculty of applying the Mass for the benefit of others 
is irrevocably imparted to the priest in his ordination. 
The duty of making this application may arise from 
various causes, as was explained before. It is beyond 
doubt that a special application of the fruit of the 
Sacrifice is permitted, profitable and salutar}^; for this 
is not only inherent in the nature of the Sacrifice it¬ 
self, but is also the explicit doctrine of the Church, 
supported by her ancient and universal practice. The 
assertion, that no special benefit is derived from the 
special application of Mass to a certain person or to a 
certain class of persons, was condemned by the Church. 
(Constit. AuctorumJidei., Aug. 28, 1794.) 

301. The mediate application of the fruit of the 
Sacrifice being exclusively an act of the sacerdotal 
power obtained in ordination, it can be made validly 
for all who are capable and in need of it; to be made 


On the Mea?is of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 297 

lawf2dly, the decrees of the Church regulating such 
application must be observed. According to the will 
of Christ the Eucharistic Sacrifice is the property of 
the Church ; He ordained that it should be offered in 
and by her. Therefore it belongs to the supreme 
authority of the Church to order and restrict the 
priest’s faculty of making the application. Holy Mass 
can be celebrated for all the members of the Church, 
whether they be in the state of grace or not. The 
just alone are qualified to receive the fruit of the Sacri¬ 
fice to its whole extent; because the more intimately 
one lives in communion with Christ and the Church, 
the greater will be his participation in the fruits of the 
Sacrifice. The fruit of the Sacrifice is communicated 
also to those who are in the state of mortal sin ; but 
they share in it far less abundantly. Above all Holy 
Mass may bring about their reconciliation with God, 
His mercy granting them light and strength to turn 
away from sin and to be replenished with grace. The 
salutary and saving effects of Holy Mass extend even 
beyond the grave, namely to the souls in Purgatory. 
Only those who incurred major excommunication are 
excluded from the Sacrifice; for the priest is strictly 
prohibited from applying it to any person thus excom¬ 
municated. 

302. The receivers of charity can therefore apply 
the Holy Sacrifice especially for their benefactors, as 
long as the latter are not subject to excommuni¬ 
cation. It was already observed that the selection 
of the persons for whom the priest wishes to apply 
Mass is left exclusively to him. He may remember in 
it the living and the dead, without regard to number 
and condition. Benefactors are remembered as a spe- 


298 


' Chapter III. 


cial class in the Holy Sacrifice which is offered for 
them. They receive a share in the general fruit of 
the Mass, because like the rest of the faithful they are 
members of the communion of saints ; and in addition 
to this they obtain a special share in virtue of their 
good work of alms-giving and through the application 
of Holy Mass made especially for them. The priest 
may find it impossible to remember the benefactors 
all by name, as the Memeyito is not to be protracted 
beyond a reasonable time; but he makes a more ex-, 
plicit Memeyito of them before Mass, which he renews 
briefly at the proper time during the celebration at the 
altar, when he remembers them in general as a special 
class of persons. This mode of procedure does not 
diminish in the least their special fruit of the Sacrifice. 
The faithful are aware of this, and hence they are anx¬ 
ious to contribute to such unions of Masses or other 
good works. To participate in the special graces of 
Holy Mass they excel in good works, because God re¬ 
wards in a special-manner every good work performed 
by man. They are convinced that the best means a 
Christian can make use of to share in the blessings 
of Holy Mass is to give alms for its celebration. 

303. There may be a considerable number of 
Christians who are led by a wrong view in contributing 
to such unions of Masses or charitable institutions. 
Being deficient in the knowledge of their religion, 
they contribute a certain small sum of money with the 
view of obtaining an ample return of spiritual bene¬ 
fits for their slender contribution. They pay an 
almost insignificant sum of money in order to have a 
share in a large number of Masses ; and some even 
imagine that by doing so they'are satisfying their ob- 


On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 


299 


ligation of having a certain number of Masses cele¬ 
brated, without paying the stipends as ordinarily pre^ 
scribed. For so small a contribution they share in 
such a large number of Masses—a great many more 
than they are bound to have celebrated ! They desire 
the largest possible return for the smallest possible 
contribution. They show thereby that they are both 
avaricious and niggardly. There is no doubt that 
such persons are guilty of simony, because they try to 
set a price on the Holy Sacrifice—the lowest price pos¬ 
sible. Their contribution cannot be considered as an 
alms, because they speculate on a return for their 
money, because they desire and expect to receive 
more for their small contribution, than by contributing 
the alms or stipend fixed by the bishop. Persons 
acting in this wise grossly deceive themselves. If 
anyone calculates on receiving more spiritual benefit 
for a dollar at one place than at another—what else 
can this be called but reducing spiritual goods to a 
commodity ? Moreover, how badly distorted must be 
the religious views of a person who imagines that he 
can gain God’s blessing by covetousness and avarice ! 

304. This culpable and usurious practice of trying 
to obtain spiritual goods by purchase or commercial 
transaction is a most detestable crime. In ecclesiastical 
parlance it is called simony, from Simon Magus, of 
whom we read in the Acts of the Apostles: “And 
when Simon saw that by the imposition of the hand 
of the Apostles the Holy Ghost was given, he offered 
them money, saying. Give me also this power, that on 
whomsoever I shall lay my hands, he may receive the 
Holy Ghost. But Peter said to him : Keep thy money 
to thyself to perish with thee: because thou hast 


300 


Chapter III. 


thought that the gift of God may be purchased with 
money. Thou hast no part nor lot in this matter; for 
thy heart is not right in the sight of God. Do pen¬ 
ance therefore for this thy wickedness, and pray to 
God, if perhaps this thought of thy heart ma}^ be for¬ 
given thee. For I see thou art in the gall of bitter¬ 
ness and in the bonds of iniquity.” (Actsviii, 18 — 23.) 
Persons attempting to fulfil their duty towards their 
deceased by joining unions of Masses and confraterni¬ 
ties in order to receive a great number of Masses for 
the least possible money, would be guilty of this vice 
of simony. If deceased persons have willed certain 
sums of money for Masses, and the heirs would send 
this money to Europe or elsewhere for the purpose of 
having more Masses said than they could procure for 
the same amount of money at home—that also would 
be simony; and if they would send awa}^ only just 
enough of the money to have the required number 
of Masses said, and this for the purpose of saving 
and keeping some of the money for themselves—this 
would not only be an outrage, but also a defraudation 
of the dead; and consequently such heirs, in this 
latter case, would be obliged to make restitution. 
And whosoever attempts to influence a priest to ac¬ 
cept a lower stipend than the one fixed by diocesan 
statute, makes himself guilty of simony. 

305. But not only the attempt to purchase spirit¬ 
ual things for a temporal price is spiritual usury, but 
also the attempt to sell them is a great crime; for 
things spiritual are desecrated and debased by being 
bartered for things temporal. Nevertheless there were 
cases in which this was done. To collect money for 
the building of churches, or for other purposes good 


On the Meajis of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 301 

in them.selves, a certain number of Masses was prom¬ 
ised for those who would contribute a certain sum. 
The Second and Third Plenary Councils of Baltimore 
vigorously condemned this practice. In the Acts of 
the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore, page 169, 
number 269, we read: “It is to be deplored that the 
Decree number 370, issued by our Venerable Prede¬ 
cessors in the last Plenary Council was in many cases 
not observed. We now declare again and again, that 
it is an intolerable abuse and a desecration of a sacred 
purpose that Masses are announced in newspapers and 
circulars to be said for such as contribute money to the 
building of churches, convents or similar edifices, for 
the purpose of paying off the debts thereof, or for any 
other good purpose. We most strongly condemn and 
prohibit this abuse. We urge bishops and prelates to 
have the said abuse corrected where it is still practiced 
and to render it impossible for the future.” It is 
plain from these words of the Council, that all prom¬ 
ising of Masses for the purpose of collecting money, 
offering a purely spiritual good for money or its equiv¬ 
alent, is prohibited and therefore sinful. 

306. Every good Catholic will abhor such a 
scandalous proceeding and resolve never to be guilty 
of it. The best way to avoid it is always to have in 
one’s heart a great reverence for God and for every¬ 
thing consecrated to His service. A person imbued 
with this reverence will show it by his whole de¬ 
meanor. When he assists at Mass he indicates by his 
reverential bearing that he is conversing with God, 
•His Redeemer, Eord and Judge. He manifests his 
faith also by having Masses celebrated for his inten¬ 
tion by his own pastor; for he judges rightly that the 


302 


Chapter III. 


fruits of a Mass are granted in proportion to the num¬ 
ber of persons for whom it is said. Nevertheless he 
is eager also to gain a special share of other Masses and 
good works by a faithful and active membership in 
pious confraternities and societies. He is particularly 
careful to avoid every sin against the reverence due to 
God. Whosoever perseveres in the grace of God 
shares in all the good works performed in the Church 
of God; and this participation corresponds in meas¬ 
ure with the zeal personall}" shown in the perform¬ 
ance of such works. He avoids the dreadful crime of 
spiritual usury and is solicitous to fulfill the will of 
God in all things. 

307. What an ineffable blessing to be a faithful, 
true and obedient child of the Church and in living 
communion with Christ! Those members of the 
Church militant, who preserve in their souls the life 
of grace, can acquire the full share of inexhaustible 
blessings and mercies inherent in the innumerable 
Masses celebrated every day throughout the world. 
And how consoling the thought ; “If I should die 
even in the remotest corner of the earth, if I should 
be forgotten by all the world, our Holy Church will 
not forget me. She will pray and offer the Holy Sacri¬ 
fice on thousands and thousands of altars for my poor 
soul; and so she will pour the Most Precious Blood of 
Atonement into the flames of Purgatory for the alle¬ 
viation and lessening of punishment.” This is an 
inestimable, undeserved privilege for which we ought 
to be most grateful to God. At the same time we 
ought to praise and glorify God’s mercy for ordaining, 
that one person may atone for the other; and par¬ 
ticularly ought we to be thankful that He gave us in 
Holy Mass so excellent and efficient a means to assist 


On the Means of Relieving the Suffering Souls. 303 

one another in this world, and to come to the relief of 
the Suffering Souls in their banishment and torments. 
Holy MavSS is indeed a spiritual treasury, to which we 
are permitted to have recourse at all times. But 
where is our faith and love? Most assuredly we have 
reason to repent of much, to repair a great deal! 

308. The Annals of the Society of Jesus relate 
that in 1583, at Biturka, a heretical mother was nurs¬ 
ing her child, when suddenly the infant exclaimed, 
“To Holy Mass! To Holy Mass!” Full of conster¬ 
nation the mother obeyed the call; and while assisting 
at Mass and hearing the announcement of the word of 
God, she was enlightened by grace so that she abjured 
her errors and became a fervent Catholic. Are not 
many amongst us in the same deplorable state in 
which this mother had been ? Do we esteem suffi¬ 
ciently the great source of grace that is open to us in 
Holy Mass? Is the sacred, blessed hour of the Holy 
Sacrifice the favorite and most cherished part of our 
time? Do we regard the celebration of and assistance 
at Mass as the most supreme and important work of 
the day? Consider, O Christian soul: “Jonas arose 
and went to Ninive according to the word of the 
To'rd. . . And the men of Ninive believed in God, and 
they proclaimed a fast. . . And God saw their works, 
that they were turned from their evil way: and God 
had mercy with regard to the evil which He had said 
that He would do to them, and He did it not.” (Jon. 
III.) When Solomon had finished the temple, “the 
Lord appeared to him by night, and said: I have 
heard thy prayer, and I have chosen this place to 
Myself for a house of sacrifice. If I shut up heaven, 
and there fall no rain, and if I give orders, and com¬ 
mand the locust to devour the land, or if I send 


. 304 


Chapter III. 


pestilence among My people: and My people, upon 
whom My name is called, being converted, shall make 
supplication to Me, and seek out My face, and do pen¬ 
ance for their most wicked ways: then will I hear 
from heaven, and will forgive their sins, and will heal 
this land.” (II. Paralip. vii. 12—14.) Therefore, 
heed you also the call, “To Mass! To Mass!” Let 
the sound of the bell remind you of that infant’s call 
“To Mass!” If you hasten to it with interior and 
exterior devotion, the grace of God for soul and body, 
blessings and favors in abundance will descend upon 
you from on high. As often as the Lord, by His 
sacred ministers, invites you to contribute your share 
to the Holy Sacrifice, do so willingly and generously, 
in order that God may give to all of us, and particu¬ 
larly to lukewarm and impenitent Christians, the 
grace of conversion, penance and justification. Be 
convinced that in virtue of the communion of saints 
you share not only in the general fruits of Holy Mass, 
and in the prayers of the Church—all Catholics do 
so, even if they do not perform special good work for 
the purpose; but also in all the particular and specific 
fruits of the Holy Sacrifice that are common to all 
members in virtue of their special good works. “To 
Mass !” Hasten to offer the true propitiatory Sacrifice 
for the faithful departed, who cry from the depth of 
Purgatory: “Have pity on me, have pity on me, at 
least you my friends, because the hand of the Lord 
hath touched me.” (Job xix. 24.) “To Mass!”— 
that God may be moved to release our deceased 
parents, brothers, sisters, relatives and friends from 
their torments by the power of this Holy Sacrifice, 
than which there is no more efficacious means of help. 



On the Motives for Helping the Suffering Souls. 805 


CHAPTER IV. 

On the Motives for Helping the Suffering Souls. 


§ 52. General Motives for Helping the 
Suffering Souls. 

309. The joyous strains of the second Vespers of 
All Saints are hushed; the festive ornaments of the 
altar are removed; a catafalque is erected in its front. 
In black vestments the priest intones the Vespers of 
the dead.—Has the cold hand of Death removed a dear 
member from the midst of the congregation ? Is it a 
burial for which these preparations are made ? No; 
it is the eve of All Souls’ day, the day on which the 
Church in maternal charity remembers in her prayers 
and in the Holy Sacrifice all those of her children who 
have passed through the portals of eternity, but who 
were not found pure enough to rest on the Sacred Bosom 
of their Lord ; who are not yet permitted to stand before 
the throne of the Lamb, to take possession of the 
realms of bliss, but are detained in the debtors’ prison 
to await their ransom, their release and admission to 
eternal glory. Thousands of faithful obey the call of 
Mother Church, and thoughtfully, sadly wend their 
way to divine service to remember the dead. 

310. During our earthly pilgrimage we are often 

disquieted—not only by the thought, what shall we 

eat, what shall we drink, and wherewith shall we 

clothe ourselves, but also by solicitude for the welfare 

21* 



306 


Chapter IV. 


of our dear ones in the distance. Who of us has not ob¬ 
served the furrowed brow of a father, the scalding tears 
of a mother, when a dear son or daughter takes leave of 
them to seek a way to fortune in the world? How 
will their children fare ? What wdll happen to them ? 
Will they remain steadfast in their faith, and avoid the 
snares of sin, the influence of bad company ? Such are 
the thoughts that daily harass the fond parent’s heart. 
—And the children also may have to bear a heavy 
burden of mental trouble. When long silence on the 
part of their parents Alls them with vague apprehen¬ 
sions for their safety, they are continually worried by 
the thought, “Why do they not write? Are they still 
alive and well ? Are they perhaps sinking under the 
weight of advancing a^e?”—These are their thoughts 
day and night; they follow them to their work and 
intrude themselves into their prayers. 

311. But the solicitude for our dear ones reaches 
its highest point when our thoughts are directed to the 
condition of their souls in the other world. Our hearts 
are troubled, our minds feel oppressed when con¬ 
fronted with the question, “My father, mother, son,' 
daughter, sister, brother has passed the confines of 
mortal life: in what state may their souls be in the 
world beyond? What was the sentence they received 
at the tribunal of the Supreme Judge? Is reward 
or punishment their lot ? ”—Holy Writ informs us that 
nothing defiled can enter heaven, and that even the 
just man falls seven times a day; are then our beloved 
ones in eternal torment?—The heart recoils at the 
terrible thought! 

312. Harassed by such doubts, a fond mother 
continued day and night to mourn the early death of 


On the Motives for Helping the Sujfermg Souls. 307 

a beloved son. But with all her tears it never oc¬ 
curred to her to come to the relief of his soul. It 
pleased our Lord to show her in a vision the wrong 
she thereby committed. She saw a procession of 
youths who joyously wended their way towards a 
beautiful city. With straining eyes she sought her 
son among them, and finally discovered him plodding 
along dejectedly in the rear, impeded in his progress 
by the heavy folds of a wet garment clinging about 
him. Mournfully addressing her, he said, “Dear 
mother,, this garment, which your tears have made 
so heavy, hinders me from keeping pace with my com¬ 
panions. Oh, cease 3'^our weeping; and if j^ou really 
love me, assist me with prayer, alms. Holy Mass and 
other good works ! ” 

313. Henschenius, in his life of St. Dionysius the 
Carthusian, also relates an instance of the impropriety, 
of immoderate inquisitiveness concerning the state of 
the deceased. When this saint was informed of his 
father’s death, he sincerely mourned the deceased. At 
the same time, being anxious concerning his condition 
in the other world, he resolved to implore God to in¬ 
form him of it. One day after Vespers, when he was 
devoutly engaged in prayer for this purpose, he heard 
a voice from heaven, saying, “What does it profit thee 
that thou shouldst permit thyself thus to be led on by 
curiosity? Much better would it be if, instead of pray- 
ing to know the state of thy father’s soul, thou wouldst 
pray for his release from Purgatory in case he should 
be there. Thus thy prayer would be of assistance to 
him and thou wouldst gain rrierit thereby.’’ Very 
much confounded at this reproof he thenceforth de¬ 
voted himself with redoubled zeal to prayer for his 


308 


Chapter IV. 


father’s release ; and the very next night he saw him 
in terrible torments, calling on him for help. He con¬ 
tinued offering his prayers and good works for him, 
till he had the consolation of being informed of his 
release. Moreover, from this time on he was an ardent 
helper of the Suffering Souls, and exhorted his breth¬ 
ren also to come to their relief. 

314. These are private revelations concerning par¬ 
ticular cases.—But who will tell ms what became of 
our dear ones, who departed this life with so many 
frailties? Our Holy Church consolingly responds to 
this inquiry: Mourn not as those who have no hope; 
for there is a middle statS between heaven and hell, a 
place of purification, where according to St. Augustine 
all those receive salvation as if by fire, who have not 
sufficiently atoned for their sins. And Holy Scripture 
corroborates her comforting doctrine by assuring us 
that “it is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for 
the dead, that they may be loosed from sins” (II Mach. 
XX. 46), “for the continual prayer of the just man 
availeth much” (James v. 16.), and “if you ask the 
Father anything in My name. He will give it you.” 
(John XVI. 23.) Tike an angel of consolation Holy 
Church assuages our grief, saying, “Why mourn as 
those who have no hope? If you desire that your 
loved ones enter the glory of heaven, why do you not 
aid them to attain it by alms-deeds, fasting, the Holy 
Sacrifice and other good works ? These are prices of 
ransom acceptable to God and a most powerful means 
of effecting their release.”—“And making a gather¬ 
ing, he (Judas the Machabee) sent twelve thousand 
drachms of silver to Jerusalem for sacrifice to be 
offered for the sins of the dead.” (II Mach. xii. 43.) 


On the Motives for Helping the Suffering Souls. 309 

And the aged TobiavS exhorted his son : “Lay out thy 
bread and thy wine upon the burial of a just man,” for 
“alms deliver from all sin and from death, and will not 
suffer the soul to go into darkness.” (Tob. iv. ii.)— 
And listen also to St. Ambrose, writing to Faustinus, 
a nobleman who incessantly mourned the death of his 
sister, “Cease your mourning. The Lord, in whose 
hand is life and death, deprived you for a short time 
of your dearly beloved sister. Do not weep for her. 
Rather pray for her that the Lord may deliver her 
from the torments of Purgatory. Enwreathe her with 
immortelles of good works and with a garland of the 
roses of prayer. This is the most beautiful tribute you 
can pay to her memory.” 

315. While the Church thus consoles, us by her 
ancient faith and her scriptural doctrine concerning 
those that died in the Lord, but who at their death 
had not yet cancelled all their indebtedness “to the 
last farthing,” a mistaken zeal for the glory of God 
may induce some to oppose pra,3^er for the Suffering 
Souls. The sentiment by which such persons are led 
may be expressed in the following words: “As these 
just souls are sure of their salvation and confirmed in 
the love of God, it is much more meritorious to labor 
for the glory of God by fostering the propagation of 
the faith, by a fervent devotion to the Sacred Hearts 
of Jesus and Mary, by praying for the conversion of 
sinners, etc., than by striving to obtain a speedy re¬ 
lease for the Suffering Souls.” But this is not so. 
With Faber most theological writers maintain, that of 
all works of mercy and charity the most exalted, pure 
‘ and charitable is to aid the Suffering Souls in Pur¬ 
gatory. 


310 


Chapter IV. 


316. We read in the Annals of the Dominican 
Order that a disciple of the great St. Dominic, a man 
of high virtue, was remiss in his prayer for the souls 
in Purgatory. “Why trouble ourselves about their 
state?” he said. “They are sure of their salvation; 
they are no longer in danger of losing heaven. I will 
rather labor for the conversion of sinners, to lead back 
to God souls whose salvation is still in peril, whose 
damnation is humanly speaking inevitable because of 
their obduracy of heart and depravity of mind. Hence 
I pray for these unfortunates; I offer for them the 
Holy Sacrifice of Mass; I do everything in my power 
for them—and I do not doubt that I shall succeed.” 
This line of reasoning is surely not logical; it rather 
betokens great simplicity. And yet the good Domi¬ 
nican imagined that it was not enough for him alone 
to act according to this principle ; but he sought also 
to influence others to follow his example. Under the 
vain pretense of applying his charity to a better pur¬ 
pose he deprived the Suffering Souls of the suffrages 
by which devout Christians would have willingly 
aided them. 

317. Butin this case God allowed the Suffering 
Souls to leave their prison and to appear in menacing 
attitudes to the one who had thus defrauded them; 
for it is God Himself, who in His inscrutable mercy 
and justice created Purgatory, and who wishes the liv¬ 
ing to come to the relief of the departed. The souls 
began to molest the Dominican everywhere and at all 
times, filling him with terror, announcing to him who 
they were and why God permitted them to annoy him. 
Soon the good religious was a changed man ; and 
thenceforth he was filled with such charity for the 


On the Motives for HelpUig the Suffering Souls. 311 

Suffering Souls that he was most assiduous in his 
prayers for their relief. He offered the Holy Sacrifice 
for them as often as possible, and exhorted others in 
powerful sermons to help them. Never before were 
motives inculcated so effectually in defense of suf¬ 
frages for the departed souls; and his success in con¬ 
vincing his hearers fully atoned for his former error. 

318. History has not transmitted to us the argu¬ 
ments by which this zealous religious defended charity 
towards the Suffering Souls. Catholic theologians 
gather them from the angelic doctor St. Thomas, and 
from other great saints and doctors of the Church. 
They deduce the various motives for helping the Poor 
Souls from the very nature of this sublime charity; 
and accordingly they enumerate three classes of such 
motives—motives relating to ourselves, to God, and 
to the Suffering Souls. By a careful consideration of 
these motives we shall be led to esteem at their true 
value the exertions of fervent Catholics for the Suffer¬ 
ing Souls; we shall refresh in our minds the memory 
of the departed ; we shall feel impelled to greater 
exertions for their relief. These motives are to say 
to us repeatedly and with irresistible force : “Hasten 
to aid the Church Suffering, the souls in Purgatory 1 “ 
For St. Chrysostom remarks, “It was so ordained 
by the Holy Ghost, who demands of us that we help 
them.”—Fet us therefore make use of the effective 
means at our command, consisting of prayer, good 
works and Holy Mass. Let us never cease to implore 
our good God, the King of glory, to release from their 
torments the Suffering Souls, and to make them mem¬ 
bers of the Church triumphant, together with all 
the saints in eternal bliss. 


312 


Chapter IV. 


§ 53. Motives Relating to God. 

319. One man has a strong affection for another. 
How will he show it? He will strive alwa3^s and 
everywhere to please his friend, to gladden his friend’s 
heart; he will endeavor to influence others that they 
also may love, praise and honor the person whom 
he himself loves. The same may be said as regards 
our love for God. If we truly love God, we will prove 
our love by being eager to do whatever we know 
is pleasing to Him; we will strive to promote His 
glory to the best of our ability. It was thus our Di¬ 
vine Savior Himself manifested His infinite love for 
His Heavenly Father ; for He said, “I do always the 
things that please Him.” (John viii. 29.) And again, 
“The works that I do in the name of M3" Father, they 
give testimony for Me.” (John x. 55.)—The purpose 
for which man was created is this : “Thou shalt love 
the Lord, thy God, with thy whole heart, and with th3" 
whole mind, and with thy whole soul.” (Matth. xxvii. 
17.)—In the Book of Proverbs we read, “The Lord 
hath made all things for Himself.” (Prov. xvi. 4.) 
The Lord Himself, through His prophet, says of man, 
“I have created him for My glory.” (Isai. XLiii. 7.) 
Man was therefore created for this sole end—to love, 
to serve, to honor and adore God. 

320. “The greater glory of God”—this was the 
controlling motive of the saints in all their actions. 
Our Lord Himself taught us to pra3", “Hallowed be 
Thy name.” And in the Gloria of the Mass the 
Church says, “We thank Thee for Thy great glory.” 
Finally, to praise and glorify God is the chief occupa¬ 
tion of the saints in heaven. The glory of God must 


On the Motives for Helping the Suffering Souls. 313 

therefore be the chief motive also in our works of 
charity for the Suffering Souls. And in fact we do 
promote His glory in a most efficient manner by hast¬ 
ening their entrance into heaven, because there alone 
God is truly known, loved and glorified.—A saintly 
servant of God was so affected by this consideration 
that he exclaimed, “I urge everybody who is zealous 
for the glory of God and strives to attain His pure 
love, to meditate on this truth. If St. Theresa and 
other servants of God declared themselves willing to 
suffer every possible pain to increase God’s glory one 
degree, what should we not do and suffer for the 
release of the souls from Purgatory, when God’s glory 
is thereby increased in millions of degrees ?” 

321. St. Anthony declares that the world is like a 
beautiful large book in which the glory of God is 
inscribed with flaming letters; for even inanimate 
creation contributes to His glory. But of what use is 
a book if nobody reads it? Man alone can read in 
this book of nature. For a man religiously inclined 
the whole world is animate; everything speaks to 
him, everything impresses bis intellect and heart. 
To him “the heavens show forth the glory of God, and 
the firmament declareth the work of His hands. (Ps. 
XVIII. 2.) Every succession of day and night is a 
manifestation of God’s wisdom and providence ; every 
new year is an instance of His loving care for man. 
God, the invisible Lord of the universe, becomes vis¬ 
ible to us in the greatness of His creation. His light 
shines in the stars of the firmament, His goodness 
grants us the splendor of the sun’s rays; His bounty 
covers the earth with verdure and nourishing pro¬ 
ducts, which He teaches us to gather and use. Who 


314 


Chapter IV. 


is it that instructs the bee to collect for us the sweet¬ 
ness of its honey, who covers the sheep with their 
fleece to provide clothing for us, who ordains that the 
cow shall produce milk for our nourishment ? It is 
God. “And He said. Let us make man to our image 
and likeness; and let him have dominion over the 
fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the air, and the 
beasts and the whole earth.” (Gen. i. 26.) For man 
therefore were all things created; to his heart all 
things should speak of the omnipotence, bounty and 
goodness of God. 

322. While thus contemplating the beauties of 
God’s creation, we are filled with gratitude; and we 
feel ourselves moved to exclaim, “How beautiful, O 
God, how full of perfection is Thy creation ! How 
great is Thy bounty, how wonderful Thy providence 
regarding man ! If even the contemplation of Thy 
works fills us with ineffable rapture, what must it be 
to behold Thee unveiled and in the splendor of Thy 
glory! Then we shall express our gratitude in hymns 
of thanksgiving, in which we shall be joined by all 
creation.”—St. Magdalen of Pazzis one day received 
an apple; and she was transported with joy at the 
thought that God had decreed from all eternity to let 
this fruit grow for her special delectation.—Of St. 
Francis of Assisi it is related that one day, while tak¬ 
ing his mendicant’s meal of hard crust at a spring by 
the roadside, he wept for joy and gratitude to God. 
His companion could not understand how he could 
thus rejoice over their poor fare of bread and water ; 
and he told him so. The saint replied, “It is the love 
that God shows for us for which I am so grateful. 
From all eternity He has decreed that we should here 


On the Motives for Helping the Suffering Souls. 315 

receive this nourishment.” Thus did the saints rec¬ 
ognize God’s bounty in the least of His gifts; and 
thus did they thank Him for it. And we—where is 
our gratitude ?— 

323. Oh, let us acknowledge the Lord’s bounty ! 
Let us unite in praising the Most High ! But how 
dare we do so—we who are still slaves of the flesh, of 
our lusts, of our concupiscence and evil inclinations ? 
—And even if the fetters of this our bondage were 
broken, “How shall we sing the song of the Lord in a 
strange land?” (Ps. cxxxvi. i.) How shall we 
worthily know, praise and love God, as long as we are 
exiled in this vale of tears ?—There is a means fully 
adapted to the attainment of our purpose. When the 
chief executive of a country comes to visit a place sub¬ 
ject to his authority, the local magistrates engage 
artists to contribute by their services to give him a 
worthy reception ; and though the magistrates do not 
personally conduct the celebrations, yet they receive 
the credit for them, since it was by their order that 
the celebrations took place. 

324. The relation between God and ourselves is 
similar. The learned Bellarmine maintains, that what 
we do through another is regarded as done by our¬ 
selves. We have the privilege of efigaging others to 
praise God in our name—namely, the souls in Purga¬ 
tory. If then there is a question of glorifying God, of 
co-operating in causing His • infinite Majesty to be 
worthily honored—is there a more appropriate and 
efficient means for the attaintment of that end than to 
assist in populating heaven with just souls? If we do 
the least for the release of a soul from Purgatory, we 
thereby augment God’s ineffable glory ; for a soul ad- 


516 


Chapter IK 


mitted to God’s beatific vision becomes fully and 
clearly cognizant of His divine attributes—and in¬ 
stantly the soul is inflamed with a perfect, seraphic 
love of God, in which it will persevere throughout all 
eternity. 

325.. Let us imagine we saw a soul ascending from 
Purgatory to heaven : who can describe the joy and 
exultation into which it will immediately break forth, 
how humbly prostrated it will adore God’s supreme 
majesty and perfections ? Who can depict the ardor 
with which it will join in the incessant hymn of the 
elect, “Holy, holy, holy, the Lord God of hosts ! The 
earth is full of His glory’’ (Isai. vi. 3.) ; “to whom be 
honor and glory for ever and ever.” (Rom. xvi. 27.) 
Unspeakably great then is the work performed b}" 
him who aided the soul in its release and hastened its 
entrance into heaven. He caused all these transports 
of love, gratitude, praise and glory to be offered so 
much the earlier to God’s majesty by the soul whom 
he helped to ransom. The souls released through 
our charitable suffrages are now enjoying the eternal 
bliss of heaven ; they will be our protectors, patrons 
and intercessors at the throne of Cod, where they join 
the heavenly host of angels and saints in unceasing 
adoration of the ^flost High—and this happiness the}" 
gained through our help. Must this our help therefore 
not be an object of infinite divine complacency? 

326. Of course we do not refer here to that essen¬ 
tial glory which is an attribute of divinity, and which 
God receives from His own infinite perfections; but 
to the accidental glory which He deigns to receive 
from His creatures. This glory, of which He is so 
jealous—“I am the Lord thy God, mighty, jealous” 


On the Motives for Helping the Suffering Souls. 317 

(Exod. XX. 5.) — by what means can we l^etter promote 
it than by opening heaven through our prayers for 
the admission of innumerable souls now suffering in 
Purgatory, souls who will praise and glorify His mercy 
throughout all eternity?—He loves these souls, and 
they love Him ; He ardently wishes to unite them 
with Himself; His Heart is moved with compassion 
by reason of their banishment, but His justice—for as 
God He must be and is equally just and merciful— 
detains them in their prison until they shall have paid 
“the last farthing.’’ He is like unto a father who de¬ 
clines the caresses of his son and banishes him from 
his presence until he shall have amended his ways by 
repentance and tears. The Suffering Souls are even 
now disciples of Christ yearning for the presence of 
their Master; but in His stern justice He repels them 
saying, “Nothing defiled is admitted into My pres¬ 
ence.” They are children of God seeking their Re¬ 
deemer, but they can find Him only if the loving hand 
of Mother Church leads them to Him. They are 
famishing for His heavenly banquet, longing to par¬ 
take in the Holy Sacrifice of His Sacred Body and 
Precious Blood ; but the sacramental species are no 
longer their spiritual nourishnment. 

327. What a joy for our Father in heaven, what 
a delight for the Sacred Heart of Jesus, when a friend, 
a mediator, equalizes by his atoning suffrages the faults 
and punishment of a soul in Purgatory, and thereby 
effects a reconciliation ! It is in our power to be such 
friends, such mediators. We can obtain pardon for 
the Suffering Souls. Though suffering the wrath of 
divine justice, they are nevertheless our brethren in 
Christ; and God delights to hear our prayers for them. 


318 


Chapter IV. 


During His sojourn on earth our Divine Savior 
wept repeatedly. We have the authority of Holy 
Scripture for it, that He wept at least three times—at 
the tomb of Lazarus, over Jerusalem, and during His 
passion. Oh, what a most heart-rending sight, to see 
the tears coursing down His sacred countenance! 
And yet the persons for whom He wept were sinful 
men ; on the two occasions mentioned last they were 
His enemies and tormentors. How great then must 
be our Lord’s compassion for the Suffering Souls in 
Purgatory, who are confirmed in His grace and love ! 
And He is compelled to make them suffer in their place 
of torment for weeks, months and years, perhaps for 
centuries ! How He must yearn for mediators, who by 
their suffrages for these poor, beloved souls enable 
Him to temper His justice with mercy! For this 
purpose He places the full measure of His atoning 
merits at our disposal; and He Himself encourages 
us by His example. 

328. From the blessed moment that “the Word 
was made flesh’’ the most Sacred Heart of Jesus began 
to pulsate in charity. Fvery one of these pulsations 
was an act of homage to God, more pleasing in His 
sight than all the worship offered by the creatures of 
His omnipotence in heaven and on earth. And all 
these acts were offered up in favor of mankind. 
Whatever Jesus did on earth through the impulsive love 
of His Sacred Heart, whether manifesting His powers 
by miracles or giving an example of humility, teach¬ 
ing His saving doctrine or suffering for our redemp¬ 
tion—He did it all for our salvation. His every act 
was a new proof of His infinite love for us, a fruit of 
tlie tree of life, full of life-giving sweetness and nour- 


On the Motives for Helping the Suffering Souls. 319 

ishing sustenance. The ecclesiastical year presents 
to our view step for step the various manifestations of 
His love for mankind. At first we behold this love 
taking to itself the form of an infant, appealing to our 
affections, enchanting, ravishing us with sweetness— 
a love, which as yet appears to be lying dormant. 
“The goodness and kindness of our Savior appeared” 
(Tit. III. 4.) ; and though He came amongst us a 
child, helpless and dependent. His condition is an 
earnest of the great work He came to achieve for us. 

329. Next we behold Him in His wanderings, 
labors and sufferings for mankind: His hands made 
callous by work. His brow streaming from exertion. 
His frame attenuated by the long fast in the desert. 
His sacred feet worn and stained with travel. His 
divine head with no place to rest upon, no house for 
a shelter. And now the plan of redemption is more 
and more developed. He no longer suffers for the love 
of us by His own divine action, but from illtreatment 
at the hands of others, borne willingly, yea, rejoic¬ 
ingly for our sake. Now we behold torments, agony 
and death; the cords of life, strong yet tender, are 
ruthlessly severed His filial devotion. His fraternal 
charity. His fatherly kindness—all these affections of 
His Divine Heart are wantonly assailed; the gratitude 
and veneration of an admiring populace are turned into 
bitter hatred. Contemplating His Sacred Body we 
see His head crowned with thorns. His hands and 
feet pierced with nails, streams of blood drawn forth 
by cruel scourging, His whole frame writhing in tor¬ 
ments without number. And thus we behold Him 
commending His spirit into the hands of His Father. 


320 


Chapter IV. 


“It is consummated!” Our redemption is accom¬ 
plished. We see Him rise in splendor from the tomb, 
appearing to His disciples, instructing and consoling 
them, promising them to send the Paraclete; and then, 
taking leave from the scene of His labors and suffer¬ 
ings, He ascends into heaven where the celestial 
spirits rejoicingly receive Him. Finally we are invited 
to celebrate in joyful gratitude, with all the pomp of 
ecclesiastical ceremony, that miracle of ineffable love, 
in which are centered all the wonderful achievements 
of His life, from His appearance on earth as a helpless 
Infant to His atoning death as the Victim of our re¬ 
demption—namely that mystery of divine love, the 
Most Holy Sacrifice of the Altar. 

330. In unceasing love, gently but powerfully, 
mildly but irresistibly, did the Divine Heart of our 
Savior pulsate from the first moment of His earthly 
life; it pulsated lovingly in the Child and in the Man, 
in the manger and on the cross, when Mary nestled 
Him in her chaste bosom, and when the Beloved Dis¬ 
ciple rested on His Divine Breast. For every motion 
of human affection His Divine Heart found an expres¬ 
sion: it was th'e source of the tears He wept over 
unrepentant Jerusalem, of the drops of blood that 
exuded from His pores during His agony in the Gar¬ 
den, of the streams of blood that gushed forth from 
His four great wounds on Calvary, of that blessed 
fountain of regeneration which was opened in His 
sacred side by the soldier’s spear. His very death— 
what was it but the offering of His last remaining 
drop of blood for the redemption of mankind ? And 
He did and suffered all this for love of you, for love of 
me, for love of us all! We were captive in the bonds 


On the Motives for Helping the Suffering Souls. 


321 


of God’s enemy, and He released us. But He released 

■ 

us in a manner that necessitates our co-operation. 
We must follow His example. “For unto this you are 
called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving you 
an example that you should follow His steps.’’ (I Pet. 
II. 21.) And as we were captive and helpless before 
the advent of Christ, thus also shall we again be 
captive and helpless in Purgatory, unless the Church 
militant comes to our relief and assistance. 

331. Fet us illustrate this condition by an example 
taken from the Gospel. At the pool of Bethsaida lay 
a man “that had been eight and thirty years under his 
infirmity.’’ (John v. 5.) His limbs were lamed with 
palsy; without aid it was impossible for him to move. 
“And an angel of the Ford descended at certain times 
into the pond, and the water was moved. And he 
that went down into the pond after the motion of the 
water was made whole of whatsoever infirmity he lay 
under.’’ And this poor, sick man, behold him so 
yearningly anxious to be healed, hearing the move¬ 
ment of the waters, seeing the angel descend—and 
yet he is so helpless! So many passers-by, but no one 
to assist 'him! One by one the companions of his 
misery have been healed: they went their way rejoic¬ 
ing, but him they forgot. Hear him bemoaning his 
sad condition: “I have no man, when the water is 
troubled, to put me into the pond.’’ Alas, no pitiful 
heart, no ministering hand to come to his aid ! And 
for thirty-eight years he languished thus!—This is the 
picture of a soul in Purgatory. 

* 332. Such a soul is in a helpless condition, unable 
to do anything for its own relief. Suffering, suffer¬ 
ing ! Our Ford pities the miserable condition of these 

22* 


322 


Chapter IV. 


souls; He desires to receive them into His glory, and 
to reward their faithfulness in His service; but His 
justice demands full satisfaction, and their release 
must be delayed till payment of the last farthing has 
been made. And now, behold the mercy of our Savior : 
He does not send an angel to Bethsaida; He goes 
Himself to do for them what is in His power ; He des¬ 
cends upon our altars. If at this moment the Suffer¬ 
ing Soul were to come to Him while the cleansing 
flood of. His atoning Blood is sparkling in the conse¬ 
crated chalice—truly, its release would be assured, the 
soul would be permitted to fly to the bosom of its lov¬ 
ing Spouse. But, alas ! of itself it cannot come; it is 
captive, unable to move. Our Savior cannot loosen 
its bonds, because His justice demands satisfaction. 
To the yearning question, “How long dost Thou turn 
away Thy face from me?” (Ps. xii. i.) comes the sor¬ 
rowful answer, “Until the last farthing shall have been 
paid, either by thy own suffering, or by the suffrages 
of thy brethren and friends.” 

333. Hence our Uord commissions the Church to 
exhort the faithful to be merciful and charitable 
towards the Suffering Souls. The Holy Souls behold 
their brethren on earth going to the fountain of salva¬ 
tion ; they see so many of their suffering brethren 
ascend to heaven, because some merciful hand has 
applied to them the saving flood of the Holy Sacriflce ; 
and this or that soul — alas! — is forgotten, and can¬ 
not leave the place of torment. Why?’—Hear the 
mournful anwer, “I have no one to come to my assist¬ 
ance.” And sorrowfully our loving Savior inquires-of 
mankind, “What is there that I ought to do more, and 
have not done?” Forsooth, what more could He have 


On the Motives for Helping the Suffering Souls. 323 

done? One single petition of a confident heart would 
suffice to lessen the distance between God and the 
captive soul.—St. Gertrude had prayed long and fer¬ 
vently for a soul that apparently had departed this 
world in a sad condition. At length she was permitted 
to see it in its torments. On imploring the Lord to 
grant it full pardon, He replied, “My justice would not 
prevent Me from releasing it immediately, if thou 
wouldst confidently ask Me. For by My omniscience, 
which penetrates the future, I invested this soul with 
the necessary dispositions to receive the benefit of thy 
charity.” Accordingly even a prayer ma}^ suffice to 
appease divine justice and to release a soul from 
captivity. Wonderful love of God ! 

334. “Now there was a certain man sick, named 
Lazarus, of Bethania, of the town of Mary, and Martha, 
her sister. Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister 
Mary, and Lazarus. When He had heard therefore 
that he was sick He still remained in the same place ■ 
two days: then after that He said to His disciples: 
Lazarus our friend sleepeth; but I go that I may 
awake him out of sleep. His disciples therefore said : 
Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. But Jesus spoke 
of his death, and they thought that He spoke of the 
repose of sleep. Then therefore Jesus said to them 
plainly: Lazarus is dead. Let us go to him. Jesus 
therefore came, and found that he had been four days 
already in the grave. And many of the Jews were 
come to Martha and Mary to comfort them concern¬ 
ing their brother. Martha therefore as soon as she 
heard that Jesus was come, went to meet Him, but 
Mary sat at home. Martha therefore said to Jesus : 
Lord, if Thou hadst been here, my brother would not 


324 


Chapter IV. 


have died; but now also I know that whatever Thou 
wilt ask of God, He will give it Thee. Jesus saith 
to her: Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith 
to Him : I know that he shall rise again in the resur¬ 
rection at the last day. Jesus said to her: I am the 
resurrection and the life; he that believeth in Me 
although he be dead shall live: and every one that 
liveth and believeth in Me, shall not die forever. 
Believest thou this? She saith to Him : Yea, Lord, I 
have believed that Thou art Christ, the Son of the 
living God, who art come into this world. And when 
she had said these things, she went and called her 
sister Mary secretly, saying: The Master is come and 
calleth for thee. She, as soon as she heard this, riseth 
quickly and cometh to Him. And seeing Him, she 
fell down at His feet, and saith to Him : Lord, if Thou 
hadst been here, my brother had not died. Jesus 
therefore, when He saw her weeping, and the Jews 
that were with her, weeping, groaned in spirit and 
troubled Himself and said: Where have you laid him? 
And Jesus wept. The Jews therefore said: Behold 
how He loved him. Jesus therefore, again groaning 
in Himself, cometh to the sepulchre. Now it was a 
cave: and a stone was laid over it. And He cried 
with a loud voice: Lazarus, come forth. And pres¬ 
ently he that had been dead came forth.” (John xi.) 

The Son of God weeps with the sisters at the death 
of their brother, and then calls him to life again! 
Behold the efficacy of Martha’s faith, of Mary’s love ! 
Except for this faith and love of his sisters Lazarus 
would have remained in his grave till the day of gen¬ 
eral resurrection. Our Savior graciously heard the 


Oil the Motives for Helping the Suffering Souls, 325 

prayer of these sisters: and so also will He to-day 
hear our intercessions for our departed loved ones. 

335. This wide earth of ours is our Savior’s 
Bethania—an abode of sorrow and mourning, but 
nevertheless a place of happiness and bliss, because in 
it is a house in which He dwells and makes His abode, 
His Holy Church. There He remains, expecting our 
fervent prayers for the release of the Suffering Souls. 
“Behold I am with you all days even to the consum¬ 
mation of the world.” (Matth. xxviii. 8.) The mem¬ 
bers of this His Church are united in faith and charity. 
If one of our brethren or sisters dies, what does it 
avail to weep? Our Church is animated with the 
faith of Martha in Him who solves the bondage of 
death; with the love of Mary, who sheds tears at the 
feet of Jesus, and makes her weeping the expression 
of her confiding prayer. And as the sisters led our 
Savior to their brother’s tomb, thus also does the faith, 
the love of the Church bring Him to the graves of our 
departed ones. The sisters of Lazarus prayed for 
their deceased brother and thereby effected his resur¬ 
rection from the prison of the tomb; the prayer of the 
Church effects the release of our dead from the prison 
of Purgatory. Without Martha’s faith and Mary’s 
love Lazarus would have mouldered in his grave ; 
without Catholic faith and charity innumerable souls 
would remain in Purgatory to the end of the world. 
Faith and charity are combined in prayer for the 
Suffering Souls, and thus the glory of God is promoted. 

336. Should not these motives of the glory and 
love of God be a mighty incentive for us to come to 
the relief of the Suffering Souls ? Let us remember 


326 


Chapter IV. 


how greatly we are indebted to God’s mercy for the 
innumerable benefits conferred on us every moment of 
our life. By aiding the Suffering Souls for the love of 
God we can show our gratitude at least in some meas¬ 
ure; and if we know our duty, we will surely not 
neglect so easy, so consoling a means to prove our¬ 
selves grateful. Sometimes, in moments of affectionate, 
fervent and gratefnl sentiment—they are, alas, so few 
and fleeting!—we are sorry at not being able to glorify 
God like those apostolic men who gained whole 
nations for God and the faith. To help the Suffering 
Souls is to exercise an apostolate, which is almost if 
not fully as promotive of God’s glory, and nearly if 
not quite as fruitful for heaven, as are the most zealous 
labors of missionaries. Here we behold a multitude 
of just souls in need of spiritual aid. Their want is 
not that of faith, but of atonement; our object is not 
their conversion, but their attainment of heaven. For 
this purpose we are not obliged to cross oceans, to pene¬ 
trate wildernesses, to learn foreign languages; a prayer, 
an alms, a Holy Mass may be sufficient. Moreover 
we need not fear for their final perseverance; by our 
suffrages we insure for them the everlasting enjoy¬ 
ment of God and heaven. 

337. Consider now, Christian soul, the greatness 
of this work of charity and gratitude; consider how 
well pleased God will be with the prayers and good 
works of those who offer them in satisfaction, to 
release the Suffering Souls—how pleased He will be if 
the admission of such a soul to the beatific vision 
were thereby hastened even for one hour. Remember 
the words of our Lord, “Amen I say to you, as long as 
you did it to one of these my least brethren, you did 


071 the Motives foi' Helping the Suffering Souls. 327 

it to Me.” (Matth. xxiv. 40.) Our I^ord Himself 
revealed to St. Gertrude that these words apply in a 
special manner to the Suffering Souls. Dionysius the 
Carthusian quotes her, saying: “As often as you release 
a soul from Purgatory, the Dord is so pleased thereat 
as if He Himself had been released from prison by 
you ; and in due time He will reward you most 
graciously for this charity.”—Who amongst us will 
refuse any longer to follow the foot-steps of our Lord 
who suffered for us ? The glory and love of God, and 
the gratitude we owe Him, are most powerful motives, 
which should ever impel us to devote our lives to the 
release of.the Suffering Souls. 

§ 54. Motives Relating to the Suffering Souls. 

338. On the 30th of May, 1889, I was about to 
start for the East to visit a friend, and to prepare a 
class of first Communicants for the reception of the 
Blessed Eucharist. I felt an inexplicable oppression of 
mind, an apprehensive fear of starting on my journey, 
so that I had to be reminded repeatedly that there was 
no time to lose. During the following night on the 
train, between the 30th and 31st of May, I was very 
restless. The next morning, however, on leaving 
Pittsburg, I became calmer. Resigned to the will of 
God, I was prepared for the worst. Before evening 
my unusual disquietude was explained: I became a 
witness of one of the greatest calamaties of modern 
times, the Johnstown flood. After the bursting of the 
reservoir the river Conemaugh continued to rise with 
appalling rapidity, until the angry waters had torn 
away bridges, out-houses and telegraph poles, under- 


328 


Chapter IV. 


mined the railroad tracks and threatened destruction 
to the main part of the town. The flood struck 
Johnstown towards five in the evening ; and the 
inhabitants had been warned to fly to the hills for their 
lives. Thousands were intercepted in their flight and 
found a watery grave. 

339. No pen can describe the heart-rending scenes 
that followed. The masses of water destroyed every¬ 
thing in their way. Thousands had sought safety in 
their houses; but the raging waters surrounded them, 
undermined the foundations, swept away the build¬ 
ings together with their unfortunate inmates, men, 
women and children, till the great stone piers of the 
railroad bridge impeded their progress. Here they 
stuck fast and were exposed to the fury of the de¬ 
structive element, until they fell to pieces and spilled 
their inmates into the yawning gulf. Hundreds sank 
to rise no more; and still the mass of wreck and ruin 
continued to increase, until it was three quarters of a 
mile long and between thirty and sixty feet wide, 
rising high out of the water. About fifteen hundred 
people were imprisoned here, some caught between 
the ruins, others free and able to move about in the 
debris. 

340. To add to the horrors of the situation, fire 
broke out among the ruins. At first it burned slowly, 
the curling smoke apprising the dazed spectators on 
the shore of the new danger threatening their parents, 
brothers, sisters, relatives and fellow citizens. Soon 
the lurid flames greedily devoured whatever was in 
their reach, and lighted up the darkness in ghastly 
splendor. Horror of horrors ! They attack the mass 
of living, moving, writhing humanity. Cries for help 


On the Motives for Helping the Suffering Souls. 320 

rend the air. Helpless misery everywhere—on the 
burning ruins the terrified victims of water and fire, 
on the shore a mass of people frantic because there is 
no way to aid the sufferers. Some of the latter 
escaped the flames to find death in the water, or were 
crushed in the debris; and thus the sad spectacle 
continued until the seething mass was engulfed in 
darkness beneath the bridge. 

- 341. An adequate description of these horrors 
cannot be given. And now, O Christian soul, con¬ 
sider : if the Suffering Souls in Purgatory were to 
appear before us on such a burning pile to move us to 
mercy; if they were to appear in their bodies, as they 
once lived here on earth, and if we saw them sur¬ 
rounded by flames, themselves one seething mass of 
fire—who amongst us could repress his tears on 
witnessing their sad condition, on hearing their 
lamentations ?—As the helpless victims of the Johns¬ 
town disaster called for help, thus also do the 
Suffering Souls implore our aid. “To you we have 
recourse,” they call, “on you, fathers, mothers, sons, 
daughters, relatives, friends, neighbors, on you we call 
for aid, and for the sake of a vain pleasure you forget 
our torments! Remember, we are in a place where 
we have to atone for every evil thought, for every idle 
word, in a fire which, though not everlasting, in every 
other respect resembles that of hell.” 

342. The disaster of Johnstown was appalling. 
But, oh, how would the souls in Purgatory congra¬ 
tulate themselves if divine justice would not demand 
more of them than what the victims of that calamity 
had to undergo. The difference between suffering in 
this and the next world is great. Here on earth God 


830 


Chapter IV. 


punishes us as our Father, even when He fulfils the 
word of the royal prophet, “I will visit their iniquities 
with a rod, and their sins with stripes.” (Ps. lxxxviii. 
33.) But in the next world God punishes us as our 
Judge. “For He will render to a man his work, and 
according to the ways of every one He will reward 
them. For in very deed God will not condemn with¬ 
out cause; neither will the Almighty pervert judg¬ 
ment.” (Job XXXIV. II, 12.) In this world we can 
satisfy the justice of God as it were by way of com¬ 
promise ; in the next world we must atone according 
to the rigor of His judgment. In the world beyond 
we must suffer not only what all sinners have to suffer 
in this world, but also the punishment that sin de¬ 
serves in its aspect as a rebellion against God. We 
must suffer punishment not only for sin, but we must 
also atone for all the graces which sin prevented us 
from receiving. We must moreover suffer not only 
for all the injustice and malice towards others, with 
which sin is so often fraught, but also for the offense 
and insult thereby offered to God. 

343. • God is so great, man so insignificant; God 
offers us so much, sin so little; God loves us so 
tenderly, and we offend Him so boldly ! Considered 
from this view it is easy to measure the suffering of a 
soul in Purgatory: it is commensurate with the dis¬ 
parity between the infinite majesty of an offended 
God and the perishable trifle for which the soul 
offended Him; the disparity between the infinite 
goodness of an offended God, and the base ingratitude 
of a creature that once despised Him. As this dis¬ 
parity is inconceivable to us, the torments of Purga¬ 
tory are also inconceivable; and hence we should have 
pity on the souls that must suffer these torments. 


071 the Motives for HelpiTig the Suffering Souls. 831 

344. By sin God was offended, and Purgatory re¬ 
sulted as one of the means to satisfy divine justice. 
“It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the 
living God.” (Hebr. x. 31.) God often punished sin 
in a most dreadful manner even in this world. We 
find a proof of this in the people of Israel, who were 
attacked in the desert by venomous serpents; in the 
boys that were torn by wild beasts because they had 
ridiculed the prophet Eliseus ; in Ananias and Saphira, 
who fell dead because they had lied to the Apostle. 
If God punishes sin thus severely in this world, how 
will He punish it in the next ? And we should have 
no compassion, no pity, no heart for the souls in 
Purgatory? 

345. Purgatory is moreover the place of punish¬ 
ment for the elect. We read in the lives of the saints 
how severely they punished themselves‘for the small¬ 
est faults. They fasted rigorously, and scourged 
themselves till they drew blood; they were assiduous 
in all kinds of austerities and never rested in their 
labors - and this they did not merely for a few days or 
weeks, but for years, and in some cases for almost a 
hundred years. Can we read the lives of the holy her¬ 
mits Anthony, Hilarion, Pelagius and others without 
shuddering at the austerities they practiced? Can we 
remember the penitential code of the early Church 
without astonishment at its rigor? And yet in those 
days public scandals were of rare occurrence. If the 
Church, who is a loving Mother, imposed such severe 
penances on her dear children to preserve them from 
the torments of Purgatory—what then will God de¬ 
mand of a soul in the place of atonement, if despite 
all the opportunities and graces offered it was remiss 
in rendering satisfaction to divine justice ? 


332 


Chapter IV. 


346. The saints chose the most excruciating pains 
and sufferings in this world, even praying to obtain 
them : but we know of no instance that a saint ever 
desired to undergo the sufferings of Purgatory, or 
viewed them with that callous indifference so often to 
be found among Christians of our day. They rather 
regarded them with dread and terror, and suffered in 
this world for the verj^ purpose of escaping suffering 
in the next. If even the saints, who loved suffering 
and regarded mart3'rdom as a blessing, trembled at the 
thought of Purgator}3 we may conclude how great the 
difference must be between the sufferings here and 
hereafter. Let us therefore believe the hoi}" Fathers 
when they tell us that one day in Purgatory is a pun¬ 
ishment more .severe than a hundred years of the most 
austere penance in this world. 

347. Purgator}' is a middle state between heaven 
and hell, and the soul is affected by the proximity of 
both. At all events it is painfully affected by the 
proximity of hell. For like hell Purgatory is a state 
of bondage and captivity. According to many theo¬ 
logical writers it has the darkness and desolation, the 
flames and Are of hell; it has everything that hell has 
to terrify us, except despair and everlasting duration 
of punishment. If we should see someone in a fiery 
furnace, we would do our utmost to get him out of it, 
even if he was our greatest enemy. This was illus¬ 
trated at the horrible calamity of Johnstown. Parents, 
children, relatives, friends stood on the shore anxious 
to save whomsoever they could. Now, as regards the 
Suffering Souls, we cmi help them. What have they 
done to us that we do not help them, that we permit 
them to suffer on, though in life they were perhaps 


On the Motives for Helping the Suffer ing Souls. 

our most intimate friends ? Besides we must remem¬ 
ber the terrible pains of sense which the souls in 
Purgatory suffer ; also that most intense pain resulting 
from their deprivation of the beatific vision of God. 
They languish, they yearn to see their God ; and they 
are banished from His presence. They are near to 
Him, and yet so far away. They seek Him and find 
Him not. They are attracted to Him and feel them¬ 
selves repulsed. They sigh continually for Him and 
are not heard. What a torment, what inexpressible 
suffering ! And yet we have no compassion on them ! 

348. Alas, these Poor Souls are in the debtors’ 
prison, and are unable to do anything for their own 
release. Their time of merit is over. Their day is 
past, the night has befallen them. Their cry for mercy 
is unheard, as far as they themselves are concerned. 
Their tears no longer blot out their misdeeds. For 
them there are no longer the sacraments, indulgences, 
means of grace. No longer can they atone for their 
faults by good works, prayer, fasting and alms-deeds 
in virtue of Christ’s redeeming Blood. “For the time 
hath its end” (Dan. viii. 19.) ; that is, their time 
of merit is past. For them the time of suffering has 
come. And how long must they suffer? Who can 
know? who can tell? It is the pious custom of the 
Church to pray for the departed centuries after their 
death ; by this she conclusively proves that she be¬ 
lieves, or fears, that these souls, so long since de¬ 
parted, are still suffering. These souls then can not 
do the least for their own release. They cry to us for 
relief, they call on us for help. We ca?i help them 
and we do not! We know that they are undergoing 
the punishment inflicted by divine wrath ; we know 


334 


Chapter IV. 


that works of atonement are necessary for their relief; 
we know that they suffer the most excruciating tor¬ 
ments in their helpless condition—and yet we refuse 
to help them ! Have we hearts of stone ? 

349. The Suffering Souls in Purgatory, knowing 
that of themselves they can not cause any change in 
their deplorable condition, and that we can do so 
much for them, continually implore us to come to 
their aid by applying to them the merits of the life, 
sufferings and death of Jesus Christ from out of the 
treasury of the Church. But as they cannot without 
God’s special permission draw our attention person¬ 
ally to their needs, the Church does it in their place 
both by means of her many pious practices for their 
relief, as also by calling our attention to their pitiable 
state. Hence the Venerable Catherine Emmerich 
observes: “Oh, these Poor Souls have so much to 
suffer because of their negligence, because of their 
former want of piety and zeal for God and their 
neighbor. How shall they be aided except by aton¬ 
ing charity, which offers up for them those acts of 
virtue which they neglected during life? And how 
they yearn for this charity ! For themselves they can 
no longer do anything. But they also know that no 
good thought, no sincere desire offered up for them by 
the living, is without effect. Yet how few care for 
them ! If anybody prays for them, suffers for them, 
gives alms for them, they immediately experience 
relief.” 

350. Since we know, and know by faith, how 
great the torments of these just souls in Purga¬ 
tory are, should we not be moved to compassion for 
them ? We cannot endure to see a living creature 


On the Motives for Helping the Suffering Souls. 335 

tormented, and can we be so insensible to the suffer¬ 
ings of these friends of God as to regard them with 
indifference, so unfeeling as to refuse to mitigate 
them ? When our Lord saw the sick man at Beth- 
saida, who suffered for thirty-eight years because he 
had no one to place him into the water. His Heart 
w^as moved to pity; and He passed by the other sick 
and healed this one, who was unable to help himself. 
The condition of the souls in Purgatory is similar. 
Will the example of our Divine Lord not impel us to 
help them ? 

351. Grateful love for our deceased is so deeply 
imprinted into our hearts, that there are only few who 
are insensible to it. We even find that after death our 
love increases for those who were dear to us in life. 
Their loss makes us feel their worth more keenly. 
And those whom we neglected during life—we miss 
them when they are no longer among us. We have 
even a kindly feeling for those in their graves, of 
whom w^e had reason to complain during life. Their 
defects are forgotten, and w^e remember only their vir¬ 
tues. These sentiments were implanted into our 
hearts by our loving Creator as a connecting link be¬ 
tween this world and the next, by means of which we 
remain in contact with Himself and His elect, and even 
with such of the latter as do not yet enjoy His 
beatific vision. He, the Father of mercies and God of 
all consolation, loves them Himself and cheers them 
wdth the hope of release and bliss after His justice 
shall have been satisfied and their purification attained. 
They are His elect, objects of His love; and hence our 
charity should extend to them. “A gift hath grace in 
the sight of all the living, and restrain not grace from 
the dead.” (Eccli. vii. 37.) 


38G 


Chapter IV. 


352. Who are the souls for whose speedy release 
we should offer our prayers, the Holy Sacrifice of 
Mass, and good works? They are souls that once in¬ 
habited a frail human body like our own, a body 
created by God and now mouldering in its grave or in 
the bottom of the deep. Like ourselves these souls 
had to engage in combat against temptations of the 
flesh, against tbe evil influence of the world and the 
devil. Like ourselves they feared death, and even now 
they are open to the influence of pain and joy. Like 
ourselves they are Christians, ransomed by the same 
Precious Blood of a dying God-Man ; perhaps they 
dwelt with us in the same community; at all events 
they shared with us the same holy sacraments and 
means of grace; perhaps they were our best friends, 
to whom we are indebted for many an important ser¬ 
vice. Moreover, our faith enjoins us to extend our 
charity not only to those that were dear to us in life, 
or to whom we are indebted for their good will to¬ 
wards us, but to all men; hence our charity must em¬ 
brace also all souls that are in need of our prayer 
and help. 

353. Again, gratitude and justice must impel us 
in a particular manner to this charity. Who are the 
Suffering Souls, whose pitiful condition appeals to us? 
Perhaps a dear father, once so solicitous for your wel¬ 
fare, earning bread for you in the sweat of his brow, 
laboring for your success in life, and perhaps suflfering 
now for the very reason that he had too much regard 
for your welfare and therefore neglected his duty to¬ 
wards the poor. Ask him why he is thus suffering, 
and he will answer you with the sick man in the Gos¬ 
pel, “I have no one to help me !”—Perhaps the Suf- 


On the Motives for Helping the Suffering Souls. 337 

fering Soul is a fond mother who brought you forth 
to life, who loved you with her whole heart, who spent 
herself for you; and now perhaps she has to suffer for 
the very reason that she was too fond of you, and 
therefore neglected to correct your faults, thinking 
that the virtues with which she imbued you were suf- 
cient to counteract them. And now listen to her 
plaintive cry, “I have no one to help me!” 

354. Or perhaps it is the soul of your pastor and 
spiritual guide that appeals to you for help. During 
life he conscientiously followed the advice of St. Paul, 
“Preach the word, be instant in and out of season; 
reprove, entreat, rebuke in all patience and doctrine.” 
(II Tim. IV. 2.) But because greater perfection is de¬ 
manded of the priest than of the rest of the faithful, 
and because neglect of duty is more reprehensible in 
him than in others, he is sentenced to purification in 
the fiery furnace ; and because the faithful had so high 
a regard for his virtue, they neglect to pray for him j 
his chances of relief and deliverance are the smaller, 
the greater the esteem in which he was held. He 
helped so many others in life and in death, but was 
perhaps remiss in his duty towards the dead. And now, 
alas, he joins the mournful chorus, “I have none to 
help me! ” 

Perhaps 3^our brothers and sisters, so dear to you 
in life, one heart and one soul with you in consequence 
of the same training, the same bent of mind, are in 
that fiery furnace; or it is your teacher who spent 
himself for your mental and moral improvement, sow¬ 
ing the good seed of religion and virtue into your 
heart; or they are relatives and friends, who with you 
bore the burden and heat of the day, taking upon 

23 * 


338 


Chapter IV. 


themselves a great part of your share, ever ready to 
help, console and encourage you. Alas, you give 
them cause to join in the mournful plaint, “I have no 
one to help me !” 

355. Or perhaps it is the soul of one, who in the 
opening bloom of life was most dear to you and was 
about to become one with you for life in the sacred bond 
of matrimony; but the grim reaper Death suddenly 
swung his scythe—the blooming flower drooped and 
withered and was laid away to await the angel’s call 
to resurrection; and the soul which you so often tried 
to fathom to its depth, in whose love you found the 
supreme joy and happiness of your life—where is it 
now? Your own wealth of affection was too sensual, 
it called forth a like sentiment in your beloved, and 
your affianced’s soul is undergoing punishment for a 
fault for which you are to blame. You cover the grave 
with flowers, you rear a splendid monument—and that 
is all! Listen, hear the mournful cry, “I have no one 
to help me!” 

Or the soul is that of a faithful servant, who spent 
his best years and gave his sincerest efforts in serving 
you, even so far as to neglect the service of God.—It 
is a soldier who laid down his life in defence of his 
country, in consequence of which you enjoy the 
blessings of peace. They also swell the mournful 
dirge, “I have no one to help me !” 

How can you, how dare you neglect these and all 
the other Suffering Souls not mentioned in this hasty 
sketch? Their plaintive cry is voiced by holy Job, 
whose sufferings were nothing in comparison to 
theirs: “Have pity on me, have pity on me, at least 
you my friends; for the hand of the Lord hath 
touched me.” (Job, xix. 21.) 


On the Motives for Helping the Suffering Souls. 339 

356. Oh, that we could see our suffering friends 
atoning for their faults in the deep abyss and fiery 
furnace into which Divine Justice has cast them ! Oh, 
that we could hear their plaintive cries for help, their 
mournful reproaches of our neglect and hardness of 
heart! Children would hear their parents cry to them in 
the words of the prophet, “I have brought up children 
and exalted them, and they have despised me.” (Isai. 
I. 2.) —Hence St. Leonard of Port Maurice justly cen¬ 
sures all hard-hearted Christians as follows: “What 
are you about? Are you children or are you brutes 
and monsters of cruelty to remain unmoved at the 
bitter plaints of your father, of your mother ? There 
are instances of tigers exposing themselves to certain 
death in defence of their young, of reptiles casting 
themselves into the flames to save their brood from 
burning: and you will not descend into Purgatory to 
save your poor father, your suffering mother from its 
painful flames? You are so hard of heart as to refuse 
to lend them a helping hand by the performance of a 
good work for their relief? Go, then, if this be so, go 
and tear down from your walls the pictures of your 
parents and cast them into the fire, rejoicing that while 
the originals are burning in Purgatory through your 
fault, their pictures may share their lot.” 

357. Heartless child, your parents have reason in¬ 
deed to address you thus, “I loved my children so 
dearly; I ever had their welfare at heart, and they so 
soon forgot me ! They still eat my bread; they owe 
to me whatever they possess, and yet it no longer 
reminds them of me !”—And the forgotten friend ex¬ 
claims with David, “If my enemy had reviled me, I 
would have verily borne with it. And if he that hated 


340 


Chapter IV. 


me had spoken great things against me, I would per¬ 
haps have hid myself from him : but thou, a man of 
one mind, my guide and my familiar, who didst take 
sweet meats together with me!” (Ps. liv.) “You, my 
friend, who promised me on my death-bed to remem¬ 
ber me, have so soon forgotten me ! You feel com¬ 
passion for malefactors suffering for their crimes, but 
for the soul of your friend you feel no pity ! Unfaith¬ 
ful friend, mercy shall not be shown to you, because 
you showed none to me !” 

358. Christian soul, answer candidly; it is the 
Church that asks you the question, the Church whose 
faith you profess and whose sacraments you receive : 
Is it really true, have you so shamefully neglected 
your departed dear ones ? The souls of these departed 
ask this question ; the souls of those that have a right¬ 
ful claim on your gratitude and affection.—You are 
silent ?—But in the depth of your heart you sigh : 
“Alas, it is true 1 ” The tears start from your eyes and 
course down your cheeks in acknowledgment of your 
fault. And indeed, you have reason to weep scalding 
tears of repentance : it is dreadful to neglect for weeks, 
months and even years to say even one “Our Father” 
for the Suffering Souls, for those who during life were 
so fervent, so persevering in their prayer for us. It is 
awful not to have contributed even a mite of good 
works for the relief of those who must languish in 
prison till the “last farthing is paid.” O Catholics, 
where is your faith and your practice of the faith ? 
Where is your charity and its practical demonstration ? 
Where is your heart and its sentiment of compassion ? 

359. Oh, do not, in proof that you did 7 iot forget 
your departed ones, call attention to the pompous 


On the Motives for Helping the Suffering Souls. 341 

funeral display you ordered, to the costly casket, the 
profusion of flowers, the imposing monument. Van¬ 
ity of vanities ! It is help, help they need, relief for 
which they cry in the words of Joseph in Pharaoh’s 
prison: “Remember me when it shall be well with 
thee and do me this kindness to take me out of this 
prison.” (Gen. xl. 14.) This is the touching prayer 
of your father or mother, your brother or sister, your 
husband or wife, your friend or benefactor. 

360. Pray, oh, pray for their release from the 
gloomy prison, that they may rejoicingly enter the 
heavenly court to partake of the banquet of God’s 
elect, there to welcome us after our own death. This 
is our hope, our prayer, our supplication—that the 
greater our sorrow was at parting, the greater may be 
our joy at that heavenly reunion.—To meet again! 
What a charm this assurance has for the human heart! 
Witness the gloom, the sorrow cast over a home, 
because a dear son is about to take his leave. The 
father’s tears start unbidden while he says the parting 
words ; the mother’s heart is rent asunder and she will 
not be comforted—again and again she holds her child 
in fond embrace; brothers and sisters repress the out¬ 
burst of their sorrow to spare their parents, but their 
trembling lips can scarcely say the dreaded word, 
“Farewell!”—“Farewell, to meet again !” the answer 
comes. The scene is changed. A gleam of sun¬ 
shine pierces through the lowering clouds. “To meet 
again!” The smile of hope dispels the gloom of 
parting. 

361. How different, how bitter, when the assur¬ 
ance and conviction are expressed that the parting 
from our dear ones is forever!—The aged father’s life 


842 


Chapter IV. 


is fast ebbing away. “It is towards evening and the 
day is now far spent.” (Luke xxiv. 29.) He assem¬ 
bles his children around his dying couch, and in a 
weak but most impressive voice reminds them of his 
instructions during life; he warns them of the dangers 
of disobedience and neglect of duty. Amid loud sob¬ 
bing they listen to his parting words. And now his 
voice is hushed—is stilled in death. 

The loving husband sees the wife of his bosom 
slowly wasting away. He does whatever is in his 
power to ease her pains, but physicians and their rem¬ 
edies avail no longer. Her earthly doom is sealed; 
in the strong arms of him to whom she confidently 
trusted her life’s happiness, she yields her spirit to 
God.—But why prolong these heart-rending scenes? 
Few there are who have not experienced this sorrow. 
But one ordeal remains to be undergone : the mortal 
remains are consigned to the grave.—Farewell! Fare¬ 
well!—Though lips, from sorrow, cannot say the 
word, ’tis indelibly engraven on the heart. 

362. Farewell forever in this vale of tears!—And 
yet, “We mourn not as those who have no hope.”— 
“Farewell to meet again in heaven!” O beauty of 
our heaven-given religion ! O sweetness of its hope 
and consolation ! To meet again in heaven!—“And I 
heard a voice from heaven saying to me: Write: 
Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord !” (Apoc. 
XIV. 13.)—“I am the resurrection and the life : he that 
believeth in Me, although he be dead, shall live; and 
every one that liveth and believeth in Me shall not die 
forever.” (John xi. 25. 26.) Why then mourn our 
dead excessively, if we have this consoling promise 
by the word of Divine Truth ?—You may weep at the 


On the Motives for Helping the Suffering Souls. 34H 

death of your loved ones; ’tis but natural to do so, 
and Jesus Himself wept at the tomb of Lazarus. But 
why be disconsolate? We shall meet them all again. 
Thus Holy Church bids us to hope and pray; thus 
Holy Writ assures us : “For the trumpet shall sound, 
and the dead shall rise again incorruptible.” (I. Cor. 
XV. 52.)—“How do some among you say that there is 
no resurrection of the dead?” (I Cor. xv. 12.) To 
meet again: O happy thought, consoling assurance! 

363. To meet again!—What ineffable joy is con¬ 
tained in this hope ! Our Lord Himself assures us : 
“You now indeed have sorrow, but I will see you 
again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no 
man shall take from you.” (John xvi. 22.)—When 
our dear ones after a long absence return home again, 
we ask ourselves how we can welcome them with the 
most pleasant surprise. And if we can do nothing in 
this respect, we at least remove everything that might 
displease them. And how well pleased is the return¬ 
ing member of the family at seeing that his own love 
him in word and deed, and that they spared no sacri¬ 
fice to render the meeting a happy one. 

364. Now, what shall we do to render happy those 
of our loved ones who returned to their .true home, 
who passed through the portals of eternity? Many of 
them are still undergoing punishment for their un¬ 
atoned faults. Could we only see them, we could not 
but give them proof of our S3unpathy. Or would you 
not make use of the means of relief placed at your dis- 
po.sal? Would you refuse them your help, and there¬ 
by demonstrate your disregard for them? If so, they 
will not meet you in gladness when you enter the 
portals of the next world; they will give their wel- 


344 


Chapter IV. 


come to those who were more charitable than you.— 
You often remark, “Oh, that they were still living, 
they to whom I owe my being! Dear mother, could I 
but see you once more ! Dear friends, whose inter¬ 
course and loving kindness is so pleasant a remem¬ 
brance, oh, that I could show how grateful I am to 
you! If you were still among the living, I would do 
everything in my power for you.”—Christian soul, if 
these are really your sentiments, you can now show 
your gratitude. Faith tells you plainly and unmistak¬ 
ably what to do for your dear ones. If they have de¬ 
parted this world without having fully atoned for all 
their faults, they are now in torments compared with 
which all suffering in this world is as nothing. They 
call for your help. “Have pity on me!” Come to 
their aid, assist them to enter their heavenly home 
as soon as possible. 

365. Faith describes to you the instinctive desire 
of every soul parted from its bod}^ to reach its ultimate 
destiny ; and it shows you conclusively how this desire 
is the source of the most intense pain. The attain¬ 
ment of this their supreme good is denied by divine 
justice to your dear ones; they are detained in their 
abode of misery and separation from God, and nothing 
remains to them but to lament and sigh, “When shall 
I come and appear before the face of God?” (Ps. xli. 
3.) “When will the happy hour arrive when we shall 
possess our supreme and infinite good, enjoying the 
beatific vision of our God, and with it everlasting 
bliss? O beautiful gates of the heavenly Jerusalem, 
if our present suffering is not sufficient to open you to 
us, let it be increased until we shall be permitted 
to pass through you!”—“Be ye lifted up, O eternal 


On the Motives for Helping the Suffering Souls. 


345 


gates!” (Ps. xxiii. 7.) — Alas, the gates are not 
opened, the blessed hour is delayed, the beatific vision 
is denied. Hence the ceaseless yearning, the unre¬ 
quited desire of love, the painful straining toward the 
attainment of its object, incomprehensible to us until 
we shall be able to comprehend its source. “Give me 
a loving soul,” says St. Augustine, “to understand 
what I intend to convey.”—“When shall I come and 
appear before the face of God?”—You must either pay 
“the last farthing” of your debt yourself, or payment 
must be made for you by your friends on earth. 
“Have pity on me, have pity on me, at least you 
my friends !” 

366. Now you realize to a certain degree the 
condition of your loved ones in eternity; and you 
know that you are able to assist them. Will you de¬ 
lay your help and retard their entrance into our heav¬ 
enly home, where they will joyously receive you?— 
If you find a suffering stranger whose distress is re- * 
lieved by no one, you have him taken care of and 
receive his sincere gratitude for this fulfilment of your 
Christian duty. But your dear ones in the other 
world—shall they alone be denied your aid? Oh, no ! 
Your meeting with them after this life is to be a joy¬ 
ous one ; they shall conduct you into heavenly bliss ! 

We related in a former paragraph, that according 
to a private revelation of Sister Frances of the Blessed 
Sacrament the soul of Pope Gregory XV. was sur¬ 
rounded by saints at its entrance into heaven after 
a short Purgatory, and was principally attended by 
the five saints he had canonized in 1622, viz. SS. The¬ 
resa, John of the Cross, Isidore, Ignatius and Francis 
Xavier.—Let us do our share and have the attendance 


84G 


Chapter IV. 


of our loved ones in the same manner. It will be 
granted to us, if we hasten their release by our good 
works. What a joy to behold those meeting us as 
saints, whom we so dearly loved on earth!—Or shall 
they go and meet other benefactors? 

367. Christian soul, are these motives on the part 
of the Suffering Souls not sufficiently powerful to move 
our hearts to compassion, and to invite us to procure 
their speedy relief?—Their misery is beyond doubt; 
it is beyond our comprehension; it concerns our 
friends and benefactors, at all events those who are 
our brethren in Christ. Oh, let us hear their pitiful 
cry for help ; let us renew our zeal for them from the 
unselfish motives of fraternal charity, of good ex¬ 
ample; let us pray for the repose of the immortal 
souls of the faithful departed; let us have the Holy 
Sacrifice of Mass, this most effiectual means of speedy 
relief, offered for them ; let us offer for them our own 

. devout assistance at it; let us charitably aid the poor 
and distressed for this intention, and deny ourselves 
for them by fasting and other works of penance. Tet 
us unite these our good works with the infinite merits 
of our lyord Jesus Christ, humbly imploring Him to 
receive and offer them to His Heavenly Father for the 
relief and speedy release of the Suffering Souls. If 
we do it in this spirit and manner, we may rest assured 
that we shall be heard. 

§ 55. Motives Relating to Ourselves. 

368. The fear of neglecting our own spiritual wel¬ 
fare by thus zealously aiding the Suffering Souls is a 
vain apprehension. There is no better means of pro¬ 
moting our own salvation than charity for the souls in 


On the ]\[otives for Helphig the Suffering Souls. 847 

Purgatory. The greatest benefits accrue to us there¬ 
from. We know by our own experience how mani¬ 
fold are the dangers that threaten our spiritual and 
temporal welfare, and how much need we have in all 
things of divine blessing and protection; and these 
we secure to ourselves most effectually by charity for 
the Suffering Souls. This charity is therefore of the 
utmost consequence in relation to our salvation ; for 
by it we not only help the Suffering Souls to a more 
speedy attainment of heaven, but we thereby increase 
our own zeal and atone for our own faults. 

369. Hence our Lord exhorts us : “Make unto 
you friends of the mammon of iniquity; that when 
you shall fail, the}^ may receive you into everlasting 
dwellings” (Lukexvi. 9.), thus reminding us to engage 
the prayers of the poor by our alms, in order to obtain 
the graces necessary for our salvation. Now, who 
amongst the poor will more certainly pray for us than 
the souls in Purgatory, those friends of God who are 
in such great distress, so needful of help and unable to 
do an3dhing for themselves? And whose prayer is 
more powerful than that of*these elect Holy Souls?— 
Let us therefore make them our friends by mitigating 
their torments by means of our prayers and good 
works. 

370. If the scanty alms which we give to the poor 
during life and which relieves them only partly and 
for a time, imposes on them the obligation of praying 
for us in return, is it not obvious that the souls of the 
faithful departed must feel themselves impelled to im¬ 
plore God’s choicest blessings on us for relieving them 
from the utmost misery and leading them to supreme 
bliss? They will not be ungrateful or forgetful as 


348 


Chapter IV, 


Pharaoh’s chief butler was of Joseph. “Remember me, 
when it shall be well with thee,’’ thus Joseph spoke to 
the butler. It will not be necessary for us to address 
such words to the Poor Souls. Released from their 
fiery prison and admitted to the long desired vision of 
God, they will of their own accord intercede for us, 
for our families and for all our dear ones; they wdll 
pray for us at the throne of God, asking His blessing 
on all our undertakings. They will surround our 
death-bed to assist us in that all-important combat, 
protecting us against the final assaults of the enemy. 
They will in fine conduct our souls to the tribunal of 
God, recommending them to His mercy. And so the 
word of Holy Writ will be verified in us, “Do good to 
the just, and thou shalt find great recompense; and if 
not of him, assuredly of the Lord.’’ (Eccli. xii. 2.) 

371. Even self-interest should impel us to come 
to the relief of the Suffering Souls. St. Vincent of 
Paul assures us, “I do not remember ever to have heard 
or read that a person devoted to charity died an evil 
death.” Now, what charity is more genuine, what 
mercy more truly Christian, than that shown towards 
the Suffering Souls? We call them Poor Souls; and 
they are truly poor. They are a class of poor whom 
we do not see with mortal eyes; a class of sufferers, 
whose distress is revealed tons by faith, whose misery 
is most helpless. Most surely they will pray for us, 
even before we have obtained their final release. 
They will obtain for us a happy death ; and if perhaps 
we shall be sentenced to that place of torment from 
which we released them, they in their turn will not 
cease to implore divine mercy until they have ob¬ 
tained our release. Eternal Truth declares, “With 


On the Motives for Helping the Suffer big Souls. 349 

the same measure that you shall mete withal, it shall 
be measured to you again.” (Luke vi. 38.) 

372. How confidently we might expect our end, 
if we had the conviction that during our life w^e have 
released only one soul from Purgatory ! This would 
insure for us the mercy of God. He would inspire 
others to make satisfaction for us by their mortifica¬ 
tions, penitential exercises and other suffrages. He 
would apply in our favor the prayers. Holy Sacrifices, 
fasts and other pious works of the Church. And we 
shall be greatly in need of suffrages; for we can 
scarcely hope to leave this world in such a state of 
perfection and purity that we shall owe nothing to di¬ 
vine justice. For at the tribunal of Eternal Justice noth¬ 
ing will be overlooked, everything will be scrutinized ; 
the time of mercy is over ; justice asserts its claim. 
Will it then not be to our everlasting gain, if we have 
released at least one soul from Purgatory ? This soul 
would most certainly be our advocate with God in re¬ 
turn for our charity, and would obtain for us what we 
obtained for it. 

373. But the reverse is also true. “With the 
same measure that you shall mete, it shall be meas¬ 
ured to you again.” If we are uncharitable and in¬ 
sensible to the claims of the deceased during our lives, 
we shall receive in just retribution the same treatment 
after death. Let us place vividly before our eyes 
the condition in which we shall then be. We shall 
yearn for the assistance of others, for the application 
to us of the fruits of Holy Mass, for prayer, alms, etc. 
Let us therefore do for the souls in Purgatory noWy 
what we shall wish to be done for us then. Let us 
practice the golden rule of the Gospel, “Do untoothers 


350 


Chapter IV. 


as you would have them do to you.” If we do not pray 
for the dead now, our survivors will forget us also, 

and we shall have to serve out our sentence “to the 

0 

last farthing.” And even in case suffrages are offered 
for us, God will apply them to other more deserving 
souls. For St. Augustine declares, “God reserves to 
Himself the distribution of our suffrages. He accepts 
them in favor of those souls who during life excelled 
in charity towards the poor. ‘With the same measure 
that you mete, it shall be measured to you again’.” 
Great, then, are the benefits which we receive in re¬ 
turn for our charity towards the Suffering Souls. 

374. Moreover, by remembering the Suffering 
Souls the torments of Purgatory are placed vividly be¬ 
fore our mind. When the Church teaches us her 
doctrine of the middle state, she wishes us to take to 
heart salutary lessons concerning the rigor of divine 
justice—that justice, which demands satisfaction for 
the least sin of omission or commission, and atone¬ 
ment for every fault not atoned for during life. Let 
us therefore endeavor most earnestly to avoid even 
the least sin ; and if we have the misfortune to fall, let 
us rise at once and make atonement. Now is the time 
of mercy; now our tears, prayers, self-denials, works 
of charity, etc., are of great value before God ; now we 
can atone for much by doing a little. St. Catherine 
of Genoa remarks, “On earth we can pay a debt of 
great amount by a small sum ; that is, we can atone by 
a little suffering in this world for great punishment 
due to us in the next.”—God treats us now as the 
king in the Gospel treated his servant, who owed him 
ten thousand talents : He condones the whole debt. 
But after death the time of mercy is at an end. If we 


On the Motives for Helping the Suffering Souls. 351 

« 

are not merciful here, we shall be cast into prison like 
the merciless servant, where we shall be detained 
until the “last farthing is paid.” How great therefore 
are the benefits that we receive from charity for the 
dead! 

375. Everything done for the faithful departed in 
the state of grace and from motives of Christian 
charity is most salutary for them. It hastens their 
release, it procures their admission to eternal bliss. 
But these suffrages are also most salutary for us ; and 
the benefits we thereby insure to ourselves will be the 
greater, the more diligent and zealous we are in 
offering our suffrages, provided we offer them also 
from pure and holy motives. Charity for the Suf¬ 
fering Souls renders us more compassionate; it in¬ 
creases our spiritual fervor; it impels us to greater 
exertions for the attainment of perfection ; in a word, 
it promotes in us the growth of holiness. The devout 
consideration of Purgatory, of whose inmates the 
sanctity and justice of God demand such rigorous 
satisfaction, will teach us both the misfortune of guilt, 
as also the ineffable happiness of innocence. These 
decenniums, these centuries of suffering show us the 
abyss which sin and guilt opens between God and 
man ; and our hearts must have lost entirely the faculty 
of love, its springs of affection must have dried up, if 
on making such a meditation they do not tremble to 
their very depths, and cry to the atoning Blood of Christ 
for mercy. Should we therefore not love and practice 
this devotion instead of disregarding and neglecting it ? 
Will this devotion not make us more merciful, more 
zealous, more devoted to works of charity and piety? 
Will it not bring us nearer to our last end, to God and 
His kingdom ? 


352 


Chapter Il\ 


376. From all this it follows that charity for the 
souls in Purgatory is of the greatest importance as far 
as our own salvation is concerned. By our good works 
we help the Suffering Souls, w^hile at the same time 
we revive our own zeal. But the Suffering Souls also 
show themselves grateful towards us, and this even 
before they have attained their release by our inter¬ 
cession. Jesus Christ Himself is grateful to us for the 
aid we give them. He is so bountiful to us poor mor¬ 
tals; and we share His bounty with souls that are still 
poorer than we are ourselves, but who are nevertheless 
holy and confirmed in His grace. What a privilege, 
to be able to relieve those in torment, to bring joy to 
those in distress ! We often remark, “I am continually 
worried by crosses and trials, and I feel so despondent. 
I tried everything without avail; I am forgotten by 
God. Oh, what a life! Working incessantly, but 
without merit, because I am in the state of sin !” And 
yet if such persons would only add to these trials a 
few well-meant offerings for the souls in Purgator}^ 
matters would soon wear a different aspect. Perhaps 
this alone is wanting to insure their triumph over evil, 
to achieve success, and to perfect their works, prayers 
and good purposes. 

377. lyittle as this may seem to us, we must 
remember that in spiritual matters little things are of 
great importance. “Another parable He proposed to 
them, saying : The kingdom of heaven is like to a 
grain of mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in 
his field : which is the least of all seeds ; but when it 
is grown up, it is greater than all herbs, and becometh 
a tree, so that the birds of the air come und dwell in its 
branches.” (Matth. xiii. 31, 32.) Who would sup- 


On the Motives for HelpUig the Suffering Souls. 


353 


pose that so mighty a tree is contained in so insig¬ 
nificant a seed? The beginning is so small, scarcely 
visible to the eye—the end so grand and imposing. 
And yet the whole is contained in the insignificant 
little seed.—Those few but sincere offerings for the 
Suffering Souls are so insignificant in our eyes, but 
they contain a mighty source of consolation, of strength 
and courage to do great things for ourselves and for 
the souls in Purgatory. On the other hand, a mis¬ 
conception concerning the providence of God is the 
source of all our pusillanimous distrust. At first we 
scarcely deem it worthy of our notice, but in the end it 
leads to serious consequences. 

378. It is a doctrine of faith that the essential 
beatitude of heaven consists in the vision of God. Yet 
the vision of the saints, compared with God’s con¬ 
templation of Himself, is less than a drop of water 
compared with the ocean. “All nations are before 
Him as if they had no being at all, and are counted to 
Him as nothing, and vanity.’’ (Isai. xi. 17.) Hence 
St. Augustine says, “O Lord, God of all truth, how 
unhappy the man that knows all creatures, but knows 
not Thee! How happy he who knows Thee, even though 
he be ignorant of all else! Thou alone, O my God, 
dost make Him happy.’’ Nevertheless God grants to 
His elect also an additional happiness, which consists 
in the knowledge of His creatures. To see God and 
enjoy His possession is the essential happiness of 
heaven ; to know and enjoy His creatures is its 
additional happiness. 

379. Yet there are and always have been persons, 
even amongst those “whose lips should keep knowl¬ 
edge’’ and at whose mouth we should “seek the law” 

24 * 


354 


Chapter IV. 


(Malach. ii. 7), who deny this and contend that in 
heaven everything ‘else is forgotten in God. This is a 
three-fold error; as much a contradiction of truth as 
it is a violation of charity. That consolation which 
the world cannot give is praised more highly than 
ever at the moment when the grave closes over the 
mortal remains of someone dear to us. And though 
time heals the wound caused by death, there are often 
days and hours when it bleeds anew. Therefore we 
deem it a grateful task to adduce such testimony ap¬ 
proved by the Church as will be sufficiently strong to 
remove the shadows that would fain intrude them¬ 
selves between the human eye and the next world ; 
and to show in the mirror of faith that there is in 
heaven a blissful reunion of those who loved each 
other on earth. 

380. Tife in heaven is perfect, because it em¬ 
braces everything that is good. In Purgatory it is 
imperfect, because it is deprived of the vision of God, 
the essential good. In heaven the saints see God face 
to face; and in this divine mirror they behold every¬ 
thing essential to their eternal bliss : why should they 
not see and know the condition and needs of those 
who were dear to them on earth? Besides their super¬ 
natural, infused knowledge the souls in Purgatory pos¬ 
sess that natural and incidental knowledge which they 
acquired on earth, as was demonstrated in a former 
chapter. Is it rational to think, that among all their 
natural acquisitions they should be deprived of the 
very one best calculated to contribute to their eternal 
happiness or to the mitigation of their penal state— 
the knowlege of their relatives and friends on earth ? 
“Hence,” says St. Gregory Nazianzen, “it is im- 


On the Motives for Helpmg the Suffering Souls. 355 

possible that the inhabitants of the other world, de¬ 
spite their intimate intercourse with God, do not con¬ 
verse with one another about their past. By recounting 
their former combats and mutually communicating 
various other circumstances pertaining to their earthly 
existence, they are enabled to recognize one another 
as former contemporaries, neighbors, relatives and 
friends.” 

381. In heaven and in Purgatory everything is 
charity. The sun’s rays transmit light and warmth 
at the same time; and so also does charity grow with 
knowledge. “Charity never falleth away” (I Cor. 
XIII. 8.), and this unfailing charity embraces in har¬ 
monious union God, our neighbor and ourselves. 
Why then should a Christian, after leaving this earth, 
cease to love those whom he loved here below ? His 
love of God and of self is increased in the next world— 
why should this not be the case also with regard to 
his love for his neighbor? St. Bernard, deploring the 
death of his brother, writes these tender words, 
“Thou hast laid aside whatever savored of weakness, 
but not thy sympathy and compassion, because ‘charity 
never falleth away.’ ” St. Thomas Aquinas teaches 
that in eternity everybody will retain that particular 
love which he felt on earth for his relatives and friends 
according to the degree of kindred, friendship and as¬ 
sociation in which he was bound to them ; or if the 
love of friends on earth resulted from benefits mutually 
bestowed on each other, or from the circumstance that 
both were of the same country and labored together 
in the same vocation, their love in heaven will remain 
the same forever as it was on earth. And mark well 
what more he adds, “No motive of pure love will dis- 


356 


Chapter IV. 


appear from the hearts of the Blessed.” (Summa ii. 
26, 13.) The desire of enjoying the intercourse of 
those whom we love is so natural, that God Himself 
makes it a part of the reward of His faithful servants. 

382. The assurance of being reunited with our 
dear ones in the next world is consolation so pure and 
sweet, that even the saints found their delight in this 
thought. One evening St. Theresa was suffering from 
an attack of illness. She had recourse to her rosary, 
because she thought herself unable to make her usual 
meditation. She herself relates what followed: 
“Scarcely had a few" moments passed, when I was rapt 
in ecstacy and borne in spirit to heaven. The first 
persons I noticed there were my father and my 
mother.” St. Francis of Sales once consoled a person 
deeply affected at the death of a friend, as follows : 
“Do not scruple to repeat for your consolation, ‘She 
has not forgotten me. She watches over me ; we re¬ 
main united.’ ” Fenelon, archbishop of Cambray, 
said for his own consolation and for that of others, 
“Because our senses have lost the object of our affec¬ 
tion, we imagine that this object is really and for¬ 
ever lost to us. But this is not so. The one whom 
we no longer see, is with us more than ever. He sees 
us ; he knows our infirmities better than w^e do our¬ 
selves, having put aw^ay his own. He implores for us 
their removal. He loves us and is concerned for our 
wants. How happy am I that I can address him and 
open to him my heart!” What powerful consolation 
is contained in these words ! 

383. Knowing that we can continue this loving 
intercourse with our dear departed ones, must this 
knowledge not increase our piety ? The remembrance 


On the Motives for Helping the Suffering Souls. 357 


here on earth of a distant friend is often sufficient to 
drive away trouble and sorrow and even temptation: 
how much more comforting and salutary must it be 
for our souls to know that we' can still have inter¬ 
course with those of whom we fondly hope that they 
are face to face wdth God, or of whom we can at least 
be sure that this is their certain destiny* even though 
at present they may be undergoing punishment? A 
pious author writes: “Have a record made of your 
departed ones, and read it at least once a year, or 
better still, once a week, in order that you may be re¬ 
minded to pray for them and to commend them to 
God’s mercy, if they should still be in need of it. You 
will thereby increase your desire to be reunited with 
them in heaven, and thus you will renew your zeal 
and piety.” St. Francis Xavier made it a practice to 
invoke those of the deceased with whom he had been 
acquainted in life. He recommended to them his 
undertakings; he regarded them as protectors, and 
declared that he often profited by their prayers. St. 
Louis Bertrand invoked his deceased friends in the 
form of a litany. 

384. In the paragraph on the location of Purga¬ 
tory we mentioned that some souls are privileged to 
suffer their punishment in certain places here on earth. 
They are often with us in our rooms, in church, on the 
streets; they follow us wherever we go. And even 
though they may not always be,near us on account of 
being detained in the depth of Purgatory, we may be 
sure they are with us in thought, invoking our aid and 
at the same time praying for us, just as we remember 
our distant friends and share their joys and sorrows. 
Oh, let us then, in times of trial and sorrow, remem- 


358 


Chapter IV. 


ber the Poor Souls in Purgatory and offer up for them 
our sufferings, adding some little act of self denial or 
mortification; thereby we shall greatly benefit both 
them as well as ourselves. O, yes, we gladly believe 
the consoling doctrine that in the next world we shall 
know our own. Parents and children, husbands and 
wives, brothers and sisters—all will there know each 
other again; they will be united again in mutual love 
as they were once united on earth. One friend will 
there know the other; the priest will know his former 
co-laborer in the priesthood; the confessor will know 
his former penitent and the penitent his former con¬ 
fessor. O, consoling thought, so strongly encourag¬ 
ing us to persevere in our supplications for the dead ! 

385. In His all-wise Providence God invested our 
food with certain qualities that render it pleasant to 
our taste, in order that we might partake of it more 
willingly and so receive the nourishment which it is 
intended we should draw from it. The same is true 
with regard to our spiritual profit. God ingrafted the 
love of kindred into our hearts to the end, that by 
purely, justly and truly loving one another we might 
draw nearer to Him,* and thus make His interests 
identical with our own and those of our neighbor. 
Many a husband avoids intemperance for the sake of 
his wife; sometimes .a person strives to lead a pure 
life thereby to please a friend: and in doing so they 
fulfil the will of God. “Owe no man anything, but to 
love one another, for he that loveth his neighbor hath 
fulfilled the law. For : thou shalt not commit adultery; 
thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not steal; thou shalt 
not bear false witness ; thou shalt not covet. And if 
there be any other commandment it is comprised in 


On the Motives for Helping the Suffering Souls. 359 

this word: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. 
The love of our neighbor worketh no evil. Love 
therefore is the fulfilling of the law.” (Rom. xiii. 
8—lo.) “In godline.ss, love of brotherhood; and in 
love of brotherhood, charity. For if these things be 
with you, and abound, they will make you to be neither 
empty nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord 
Jesus Christ. For he that hath not these things with 
him is blind, and groping, having forgotten that he 
was purged from his old sins.” (II Pet. i. 7—9.) 

386. If from pure charity for the Suifering Souls 
we observe God’s commandments, will He not reward 
us for this charity ? God loves these souls and has 
prepared for them the crown of immortality ; and He 
sees that we regard this charity as the summit of 
Christian perfection, that we have elected it as the 
means of serving Him better ourselves, and of pro¬ 
moting His glory by the release of the souls whose 
entrance into heaven we hasten. The souls in Purga¬ 
tory are the most distressed part of the mystical body 
of Christ. If our Lord sees us moved with special 
compassion for this part of His body, have we not 
reason to believe that He will grant His love and favor 
in return? If the lion, from whose foot a thorn was 
drawn, was grateful to his benefactor and fol¬ 
lowed and protected him, will not our Savior also show 
His gratitude to us for our devotion to the suffering 
members of His mystical body ? We may rest assured 
that if we satisfy His justice so as to make it unneces¬ 
sary for Him to continue the punishment of souls so 
dear to Him, He will reward us for this act of charity. 

387. St. Dionysius the Carthusian writes of St. 
Gertrude: “This holy virgin was accustomed to offer 


360 


Chapter IV. 


up fervently every morning all the merits she would 
gain during the day by her prayers, good w^orks, pen¬ 
ances and sufferings. To render this act still more 
pleasing to God, she one day implored Him to show 
her the souls that suffered the greatest torments in 
order that she might relieve them. Her prayer was 
heard, and our Lord pointed out to her in their suc¬ 
cessive order the souls she wished to see. Thence¬ 
forth she redoubled her zeal and suffrages for their 
relief, persevering till she received the consoling intel¬ 
ligence of their release. Many of these souls appeared 
to her in glory, thanking her and promising to remember 
her in heaven. Finally, when after many years of this 
charitable practice she herself was on her death-bed, 
the evil spirits sought to frighten her with the thought 
that now, having given away all her good works and 
merits, she must appear empty-handed before her 
Eternal Judge, and that accordingly she w^ould have 
to undergo a rigorous Purgator3^ And she w^as greatly 
distressed at this thought. Her Divine Spouse ap¬ 
peared to her and asked why she was so discouraged. 
She answered, ‘My dear Lord, as I am about to die, I 
am troubled at having no good w^orks with w'hich to 
atone for my guilt, since I have offered them all for 
the refief of the faithful departed.’ Our Lord sweetly 
consoled her, saying, ‘Gertrude, my daughter ! That 
thou mayest know how well pleased I was at thy great 
love for the Suffering Souls, I grant thee in reward there¬ 
of full remission of all punishment that thou wouldst 
otherwise have had to suffer. And as I have promised 
to reward a hundredfold all good works, I will more¬ 
over reward thee far beyond thy merits, and increase 
thy glory in heaven. I will order the souls that thou 


On the Motives for Helping the Suffering Souls. 


3G1 


hast released from Purgatory to meet thee at thy 
death, to receive thy soul, and to conduct it gratefully 
to heaven.” 

388. O salutary effects of prayer for the dead ! 
Convinced of this, Christian soul, what is your resolu¬ 
tion for the future ?—Let us henceforth redouble our 
prayers, our good works, our exercises of penance; 
let us increase our zeal in attending and offering up 
the Holy Sacrifice, in gaining indulgences—all this to 
open for many, many souls the gates of their fiery 
prison, and to facilitate their speedy entrance into 
heaven.—How happy we shall be! We shall populate 
heaven with new saints—and thereby the glory of 
God will be increased; we shall gain for ourselves new 
advocates and intercessors, and all heaven will be 
interested in our welfare. The holy guardian angels 
will thank us for releasing their clients; the Blessed 
Virgin, for assisting her servants to gain their heav¬ 
enly glory; Jesus Christ, for applying the merits of 
His atoning death; our Heavenly Father, for render¬ 
ing effective His plan of redemption. And having 
thus gained the favor of all heaven, we may confidently 
hope to obtain more efficient and abundant graces 
here below; and when we have crossed the boundary 
of this life, we may expect to receive, after a short and 
easy Purgatory, the reward prepared for us in heaven, 
consisting in the everlasting enjoyment of Divine 
Love in the beatific vision of an infinitely glorious 
God. 

Such are the motives relating to ourselves which 
should induce us to practice charity for the Suffering 
Souls. 


I 




362 


Chapter IV. 


§ 56. Motives Relating to this Devotion Itself. 

389. Devotion to the Suffering Souls is essentially 
the exercise of the love of God and our neighbor, 
sometimes in a heroic degree. Its pre-eminence over 
other devotions is due to the fact that it leads us to 
the fulfilment of our duties towards God and man. 
This devotion tends in many different ways to the one 
end, namely our reconcilation with God by contrition, 
confession and amendment. Consequently it will 
help to ground us in the fear of God; it will increase 
our piety; it will lead us to perform good works with¬ 
out number. For this reason Faber, a great promoter 
of charity for the Suffering Souls, calls this devotion 
as it were the centre in which all forms of Catholic 
devotion unite. He maintains that it fosters all virtues 
in an eminent degree, particularly the three theological 
virtues; that it comprises all our duties towards God, 
and is more conducive to our progress in spiritual life 
than any other devotion.—This being so, let us now 
consider the spirit of this devotion in its various ex¬ 
pressions and manifestations, and thence adduce new 
and powerful motives in its favor. 

390. The spirit of this devotion, says Faber, 
promotes the exercise of the theological virtues.— 
Faith, hope and charity are virtues upon which de¬ 
pends our eternal salvation; virtues without which 
all other virtues and good works are of no meritorious 
value; virtues which alone insure our perseverance in 
the path of justice. Hence it follows that we should 
often make the acts of these virtues, in order that they 
may be continually revived in us and exert their salu¬ 
tary influence on our actions. As often as we make 


On the Motives for Helping the Suffering Souls. 363 

the acts of these virtues, we so to say add fuel to the 
fire. As natural fire increases in strength through 
the adding of fuel, so also are these virtues revived 
and strengthened by repeated acts; and thus they 
incite us to walk before God in the path of virtue. 
Holy Church therefore makes it obligatory on us often 
to make the acts of faith, hope and charity. This may 
be done explicitly or implicitly. It is done explicitly 
by using a certain formula of words; it is done im¬ 
plicitly if we say a prayer or perform an action in which 
the exercise of these virtues is included. For example, 
if we assist at Holy Mass we implicitly make an act of 
faith; if we pray for a happy death, this prayer is 
implicitly an act of hope; if we perform good works 
for the love of God, we implicitly make an act of 
charity. By this implicit exercise of the theological 
virtues we sufficiently comply with our Christian duty. 
Devotion to the Suffering Souls continually presents 
opportunities for doing so. 

391. In order to be saved Jews and heathens had 
to receive the faith of Jesus Christ. Our Lord com¬ 
manded the Apostles: “Go ye into the whole world, 
and preach the Gospel to every creature. He that be- 
lieveth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that be- 
lieveth not shall be condemned.” (Mark xvi. 15, 16.) 
Hence the Apostles and their successors always 
preached the Gospel with the greatest zeal, despite 
the most cruel and blood}^ persecutions. Millions of 
martyrs sacrificed everything, even life itself, for the 
faith ; and the Catholic Church has continued through 
nineteen centuries delivering to the succeeding gen¬ 
erations the very same faith that she originally re- , 
ceived from her Divine Founder. This faith is exer- 


364 


Chapter IV. 


cised by the devotion to the souls in Purgatory. This 
devotion shows us the existence of a place of punish¬ 
ment and purification after death; it urges us through 
our belief in the communion of saints to aid these 
souls, in order that they may gain eternal glory 
through the mercy of Jesus Christ, that they may be 
eternally rewarded by their Creator, Redeemer and 
Sanctifier; it fosters our belief in the efficacy of the 
Holy Sacrifice of Mass and of the sacraments, as also 
our faith in the power of the keys with which the 
Church is invested. This devotion therefore com¬ 
prises more than any other all the articles of faith. 

392. But this devotion also embraces everything 
that we must hope for. Christian hope is a divinely 
infused virtue, by which we confidently expect to re¬ 
ceive through the merits of Christ whatever was 
promised us by God. Now God promised us eternal 
salvation and all that is necessary for its attainment, 
namely remission of sin and a sufficiency of grace. He 
also promised us temporal goods in so far as they may 
be necessary for us and are no obstacle to our salva¬ 
tion. Indispensably necessary for salvation is the re¬ 
mission of sin, because faith teaches us that nothing 
defiled can enter heaven. If it is an article of faith 
that God desires the salvation of all, then it logically 
follows that He is willing to forgive us our sins. Be¬ 
sides He explicitly declares and affirms that He will 
forgive them. Thus He says through His prophet, 
‘‘And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, 
whereby they have sinned against Me; and I will for¬ 
give all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned 
, against Me and despised Me.” (Jereni. xxx. 8.) In 
the Gospel we read that Jesus Christ during His 


On the Motives for Helping the Suffering Souls. 365 

life on earth repeatedly forgave sins: to Mary Mag¬ 
dalen, to Peter, to the Good Thief. He also instituted 
two sacraments. Baptism and Penance, for the remis¬ 
sion of sins, in order that men at all times might be 
cleansed from both original and actual sin. We can 
and must therefore confidently hope for the forgiveness 
of our sins. 

393. Even the number and grievousness of our 
sins must not deter us from this hope. God expressly 
assures us, “If your sins be as scarlet, they shall be 
made white as snow ; and if they be as crimson, they 
shall be white as wool.” (Isai. i. 18.)—In his “Glories 
of Mary,” St. Alphonsus Liguori relates the following ; 
In the place where the venerable Sister Catherine of 
St. Augustine dwelt there lived a woman by the name 
of Mary, who had led a dissolute life from youth to her 
old age, so that the inhabitants finally drove her out 
of the town. She took up her abode in a cave in the 
country, where she soon died without the sacraments 
and abandoned by all. She was buried in the open 
field, for she had died of a most loathsome disease. 
Sister Catherine, who was a fervent helper of the Suf¬ 
fering Souls, did not remember this poor sinner in her 
prayers, because like the rest she thought she was in 
hell. But four years later, when Catherine was one 
day engaged in prayer, a soul from Purgatory appeared 
to her, saying, ‘Sister Catherine, how miserable am I! 
You pray for all the departed, for me alone you have 
no pity.’ The servant of God asked, ‘Who are you?’ 
—The soul replied, ‘I am the poor woman Mary, who 
died in the cave. Through the mercy of the Blessed 
Virgin I was saved. For in my last moments, when 
I saw myself abandoned by all the world because of 


366 


Chapter IV. 


\ 

my ungodly and wicked life, I said to her from all my " 

heart: Thou refuge of the abandoned, have mercy on ; 

me. Thou art my only hope, assist me! And my ^ 

prayer was not in vain: through Mary’s intercession | 

I obtained the grace of true contrition and thereby j 

escaped hell. Even my punishment was abbreviated < 

on condition of its greater intensity. Do have some \ 

Masses said for me; for then I shall be released from j 

Purgatory, and I promise that I will pray for you in j 

heaven.’ Catherine had the Masses said, and a few | 

days later the soul appeared to her in great splendor, 
thanking her for her release.” * | 

Nobody should despair on account of his sins. For, 
“where sin abounded, gra*ce did more abound.” (Rom. 

f 

V. 20.) Our prayers, exercises and good works all rest j 

on filial confidence in God, which is the supernatural j 

motive of Christian hope. We hope for mercy for the | 

Suffering Souls because we pray for them; we hope | 

for mercy for ourselves because we are merciful to ; 

them; and because we rely on the goodness of God and 
His promises we yield to them our merits, indulgen- ; 
ces, etc. These are heroic acts of hope, and by hope ; 
we are saved. “Hope confoundeth not.” (Rom.v. 5.) ; 

394. Charity also is exercised in a particular man- ^ 
ner by devotion to the souls in Purgatory, because by it , 
we manifest our love towards those whom God loves, 
since we help these s^ouls to attain their supreme good. 
Every soul in Purgatory is a beloved spouse of Jesus 
Christ to whom He was espoused by shedding His 
Most Precious Blood on the cross. “And I will be¬ 
troth Me to thee forever” (Osee, ii. 19.), He says by 
His prophet to the soul of every Christian, but on con- 
dition that he remain faithful to Him till the end of 



On the Motives for Helping the Suffering Souls. 367 


his life. With the faithful departed this condition is 
fulfilled; the union is secured for all eternity. No 
earthly bridegroom can long so fervently for union 
with his beloved as Jesus Christ desires to be united 
with the souls redeemed in His Blood. But they had 
strayed from the right path, they had made themselves 
guilty of venial faults for which they have not suffi¬ 
ciently atoned; and therefore they fell under the ban 
of justice, and are now detained in prison. • Their 
Divine Spouse hears them lamenting and sighing in 
their captivity, but His mercy is restrained by His 
justice. 

395. Our love for this Divine Spouse of the Suf- 
lering Souls urges us to unite our suffrages with His 
merits .for the release of these holy prisoners from 
their captivity, so that they may see Him face to face 
and unite their praises and thanksgivings with those 
of all the heavens. By thus complying with the ordi¬ 
nances of Jesus we honor His merits and atonements; 
we imitate the Blessed Virgin Mary and the saints in 
their ineffable love for the Suffering Souls, and in so 
doing we please God. It is a property of love to 
seek the complacency of the beloved ; hence the true 
servant of God knows no greater misfortune than to 
offend God even by the least fault or imperfection. 
And convinced that we can please God only by fulfill¬ 
ing His divine will, it is our sincere desire always to 
accomplish it. As often as we repeat in the “Our 
Father” the words—“Thy will be done on earth as it 
is in heaven,’’ we renew our purpose of fulfilling the 
will of God as perfectly and as joyously as the angels 
and saints in heaven fulfill it; and we express our 
resolution to desire only what God wills. Because 


308 


Chapter IV. 


God SO ardently desires the deliverance of the Suffer¬ 
ing Souls, we scrupulously observe His command¬ 
ments and perform good works to the full extent of 
our ability; for faith teaches us that we thereby aid in 
releasing the Suffering Souls; and thus we prove our 
love of God by devotion to these souls. 

396. Devotion to the Suffering Souls, however, 
not only incites us to make acts of faith, hope and 
charity, and thus to fulfil one of the first duties of 
religion ; but it facilitates to a great extent the per¬ 
formance of our other duties towards God and the 
saints. No Suffering Soul is consoled or receives the 
least mitigation of punishment but the glory of God 
and the honor of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus 
Christ are increased. How great, then, this glory and 
honor when a soul is fully released !—Whosoever truly 
loves God must of necessit}^ be filled with inexpress¬ 
ible sorrow that His adorable majesty receives so little 
glory, so little love, and is so often offended. Hence 
what a consolation to know that our neglect of this 
duty—namely that of loving and glorifying God—is 
repaired by other souls—pure and holy souls. While 
we are occupied with eating, drinking and sleeping; 
while we are trudging wearily under our burden of 
labor and trouble; and while, alas, our spiritual life is 
a continual changing between sin and repentance— 
what a comforting and reassuring thought it is to know 
that one or more souls in heaven owe to us the hasten¬ 
ing of their bliss; that now they are singing in our 
stead the praises of God, and will continue to do so 
forever; and that they find their greatest happiness in 
the perfect accomplishment of the divine will. 


On the Motives for Helping the Suffering Souls. 


369 


397. By devotion to the Suffering Souls the glory 
of God is increased not only in heaven, but also on 
earth. The sacred humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ 
is particularly honored through the practice of this 
devotion. By His bitter passion and death Christ 
achieved our redemption; and it is by His merits that 
we desire to accomplish the deliverance of the Suffer¬ 
ing Souls.—Our Lord one day showed to the Vener¬ 
able Frances of the Blessed Sacrament a number of 
souls in the terrible state of mortal sin, and He said to 
her sorrowfully, “Behold these unfortunates ! How 
they even now appear to the whole invisible world so 
horribly deformed by sin ! They shall be obliged to 
suffer for all eternity if they are not converted. Be¬ 
hold them, these sinners, who do not profit by My so 
precious and bitter passion and death, who do not 
seek reconciliation in My Most Precious Blood. Pray 
for them, that they may learn to know their terrible 
and dangerous condition, that they may return to Me 
by true repentance. Ask Me also to favor them with 
additional grace.”—By devotion to the Suffering Souls 
we do so continually; that is, we pray for this addi¬ 
tional grace for those whose souls are in danger of 
being lost. 

398. In the village of Amettes in France there 
is a plain but very neat church, in which there is 
a chapel dedicated to the Suffering Souls. On the 
altar is a picture showing how the fruits of Holy Mass 
are applied to the souls in Purgatory. The priest at 
the altar is represented in the act of elevating the 
Sacred Host, while at the same time the Precious Blood 
of our Redeemer is streaming from His five wounds 
on the souls suffering in the purifying flames. The 


% 



370 


Chapter IV. 


holy angels receive the souls purified by the atoning 
Blood, and conduct them to the mansions of eternal 
bliss. It was about the middle of the eighteenth cent¬ 
ury that a devout boy was seen kneeling betore this 
picture. His name is Benedict Joseph Labre. With 
wondering, innocent eyes he regards the pious rep¬ 
resentation ; his lips move in prayer, and his flaming 
cheeks are an earnest of his fervor. Every morning 
he may be seen serving the priest’s Mass at the altar. 
And, oh, how that picture inspires him with pity for 
the Suffering Souls! How fervently he unites with 
the priest during consecration, offering with him the 
Precious Blood for the captives of Divine Justice! 
What the picture so often and impressively reminds 
him of, he now beholds accomplished in mysterious 
reality in Holy Mass: he sees our Savior, and he ar¬ 
dently implores Him to offer to His Heavenly Father 
in ransom for the Suffering Souls the Precious Blood 
that flowed from His sacred wounds. 

399. A beautiful homage of an innocent child to 
the sacred humanity of our Lord! But thanks to God! 
a homage by no means singular or extraordinary. 
Millions of faithful Christians, saints and sinners, did 
the same for centuries; and there are millions who 
do it to-day. Do not thousands every day visit the 
stations of the cross, devoutly following our Divine 
Redeemer step for step in the path of His suffering, and 
offering His merits for the release of the Poor Souls ? 
Is His most sacred humanity not honored by the spir¬ 
itual pouring-out of His Precious Blood for the relief 
of the Souls in Purgatory? The innocence, the in¬ 
finite perfections of Jesus Christ are offered as a com¬ 
pensation for their sins and imperfections; His life of 


On the Motives for Helping the Suffering Souls, 371 

self-denial — a life of fasting, prayer, labor, contempt, 
suffering and persecution—is offered for their want of 
mortification; His stripes and torments. His tears and 
bloody sweat and agony are offered to relieve their 
pains; the merits of His virtues are offered as an en¬ 
dowment for their needful souls—all this is offered 
for the souls in Purgatory; and is not the sacred hu¬ 
manity of our Lord highly honored by this offering? 

400. Our Lord appeared to Sister Mary and 
granted her the favor of relieving four souls from 
Purgatory after every holy communion. When she 
expressed her astonishment at so extraordinary a 
privilege. He replied, “Be not astonished, but know 
that all those who are to be released by you, when com¬ 
pared with the number of those who remain, are like 
a drop of water compared with a mighty stream.” 
Thenceforth she was anxious to receive communion 
every day.—And in her fervent practice of offering 
holy communion for the Suffering Souls Sister Mary 
has thousands of followers to-day. They implore God 
to grant that the Most Holy Eucharist may bring com¬ 
fort and deliverance to the Suffering Souls; that the 
Sacred Heart of Jesus mysteriously present in the 
Blessed Sacrament may offer for them all its aspira¬ 
tions, its acts of homage and supplication, all its incom¬ 
prehensible mysteries. They receive holy communion 
sacramentally as often as possible, and spiritually 
whenever sacramental reception is impossible—and all 
these holy communions, sacramental and spiritual, are 
offered for the Suffering Souls. They flock to the 
altars to offer up or at least to assist at the Holy Sacri¬ 
fice for the release of the captive souls from their fiery 
prison; they apply to them the privilege of the altar 



372 


Chapter IV. 


and innumerable other plenary and partial indul- , 
gences.—What is all this but a homage, an adoration 
of our Divine Lord and Savior inspired by devotion 
to the Suffering Souls? 

401. The full plenitude of divine grace is con¬ 
tained in the holy sacraments. They are the stars in 
this our world of darkness, the fountains in the desert 
of life, miracles of divine love, marvels of Christ’s 
mercy. Their essential effect is the removal of the 
guilt of sin and the sanctification of the soul by grace. 
The sacrifice of the cross, renewed daily in Holy Mass, 
is the fountain-head whence the sacraments conduct 
to the souls of men seven powerful streams of grace ; 
and by this same sacrifice of the cross these streams 
are daily replenished and placed at our disposal. The 
sacramentals, too, are helps to salvation, but in a less 
powerful and in an essentially different manner. Their 
object is to remove and to destroy, at least in some 
measure, not only the spiritual but also the physical 
effects of sin. Tike the sacraments they are intimately 
connected with Christ, the fountain-head of grace, 
whence they receive their heeling power. Now, if we 
Catholics are most earnestly intent on applying to the 
Suffering Souls, as far as possible, the graces of the 
sacraments and sacramentals; if we reconcile our¬ 
selves with God in the sacrament of Penance and are 
thus reinstated in His grace ; if we then piously make 
use of blessed candles, hoty water, oil, etc., for the re¬ 
lief of the Suffering Souls—is not the sacred humanity 
of Christ specially honored and worshiped by this de¬ 
votion to the Holy Souls ? 

402. That the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of 
Jesus, receives particular joy and honor by this devo- 


On the Motives for Helping the Suffering Souls. 373 

tion is evident from the three titles under which we 
love to invoke her, namely that of Mother of Jesus, 
by which she shares the honors of His sacred human¬ 
ity ; that of Mother of mercy, under which she is spe¬ 
cially honored by works of charity ; and finally that of 
Queen of Purgatory, under which she is invoked as 
the special patroness and helper of the Holy Souls. 
We may also regard her as the Queen of martyrs, and 
offer up her sorrows as such for the relief of the Suffer¬ 
ing Souls; and as we thereby undoubtedly remind her 
of the greatest affliction of her maternal heart, mov¬ 
ing it to perform wonders of pity and mercy, it will 
prove to be of extraordinary efficacy, if we offer the 
sorrows of Mary for the relief of the Suffering Souls. 

403. It is this very efficacy of her intercession for 
the Suffering Souls which moves the faithful to have 
a particular devotion to Mary. In the life of St. Domi¬ 
nic we read: Alexandra, a young lady of noble birth, 
was resuscitated to life by the saint, that she might be 
able to receive the holy sacraments; for she had died 
without them. On returning to life she made known 
that she had died in the state of grace, but was sen¬ 
tenced to Purgatory; first, for two hundred years be¬ 
cause of a sin, which through her fault had been 
committed by some other person ; secondly, for five 
hundred years because of her vanity in dress, through 
which she often caused impure thoughts in others. 
However, being a member of the Confraternity of the 
Rosary, she hoped to be released sooner through the 
prayers of her associates. After this revelation she 
' again died. St. Dominic prayed fervently and per- 
I severingly with the members of the Rosary Confra- 
i ternity, and had the consolation to see Alexandra 




374 


Chapter IV. 


again after fifteen days in heavenly splendor, thanking 
him for her release.—Therefore let us also endeavor 
to liberate the Suffering Souls from their torments by 
having recourse for this purpose to the intercession of 
the Blessed Virgin Mary. To our daily prayers to her 
let us add also one or the other for the relief of the 
souls in Purgatory ; particularly let us often say the 
rosary in her honor and offer it up for these souls. 
Thus is the honor of Mary increased by devotion to 
the Holy Souls. 

404. The same is true of our veneration for the 
Holy Angels. There is no doubt that the guardian 
angels rejoice, and with them the whole heavenly 
court, if we help to increase the number of those who 
dwell in the heavenly Jerusalem, thereby filling the 
empty thrones of the fallen angels. The angels re¬ 
gard with particular favor the souls already assured of 
their salvation and confirmed in perseverance, though 
as yet these souls are not sufficiently purified to take 
possession of the blissful abode prepared for them. 
Many of them also have a special interest in these 
souls, having been their guardian angels on earth, and 
still exercising that office.—We read in the life of 
Blessed Cecilia Tampugnana, that three days after her 
death she appeared and made known that she received 
the consolations of her guardian angel, and that he ap¬ 
peared to her visibly in Purgatory. She added that 
she intended to ask him for a particular favor; name¬ 
ly, that he would apply in her stead to the priest of 
the church of the Holy Sepulchre, and request him to 
say Masses for her, whereby she would be greatl}^ re¬ 
lieved.—It is also related of a young man who once 
went to sleep without saying his usual rosary for the 


On the Motives for Helping the Suffering Souls. 375 

Suffering Souls, that he was called by his guardian 
angel and reminded of the omission.—St. Michael the 
archangel is the prince of Purgatory. He receives the 
suffrages of the faithful and brings them to the throne 
of God for the relief of the Suffering Souls, whom he 
conducts to the throne of God after their release—an 
office of which the Church makes special mention in 
the Offertory of the Mass for the Dead.—Thus the 
angels receive increased honor by this devotion. 

405. The Saints also experience new joy every 
time their number is increased by the addition of a re¬ 
leased soul. The saints in heaven are God’s house¬ 
hold, His family. Once they were living on earth, 
but after their death they were transplanted into 
heaven. Mary is their Mother there as she is ours 
here. They rejoice at our good works, the more so, if 
thereby their number is augmented ; and this joy is 
doubly great if they find their clients among'the new 
arrivals in heaven. Although the essential happine.ss 
of heaven consists in the vision and eternal possession 
of God, yet they receive an additional happiness from 
the knowledge that those who were devoted to them 
on earth are now united with them in heaven. If by 
our prayers we effect the release of the Suffering 
Souls, and thereby increase the number of the saints 
in heaven, do we not also by the same means increase 
their heavenly joy ? And hence is it not evident that 
by this devotion to the souls in Purgatory we pro¬ 
mote the honor and glory of the saints? 

406. In heaven one class of saints—martyrs, vir¬ 
gins, confessors, religious, fathers, mothers, etc.—is 
distinct from the other, every class receiving addi¬ 
tional joy and glory from the faithful performance of 


376 


Chapter IV. 


the particular duties of their state, for which they ex¬ 
tend to one another their mutual congratulations. In 
the Suffering Souls, already confirmed in grace, they 
behold the fruit of their example, the granting of their 
prayers, the result of their protecting influence. Many 
a holy patron sees how his client is being perfected in 
the cleansing flames. These souls were their zealous 
disciples on earth ; they celebrated their feasts in holy 
rejoicing; they proclaimed their words and deeds to 
the world. Even in death they united the names of 
their patrons with the saving names of Jesus and 
Mary, to repel the attacks of the evil spirits in that 
all-important hour. Why then should these saints not 
regard with compassion their clients in the cleansing 
flames ? And is it not obvious that our prayers for 
the release of the Suffering Souls are a source of joy 
to the saints, redounding to their honor, because we 
thereby hasten their clients’ entrance into heaven ? 

407. Hence it is not saying too much, if we call 
the devotion to the souls in Purgatory in a certain 
sense the centre of all Catholic devotions, which com¬ 
prises more than any other the whole compass of our 
duties towards God, the angels and men. All other 
devotions, too, find their common centre in this one 
devotion, as we intend to prove. 

The special devotions of all confraternities can be 
applied for the benefit of the Suffering Souls; hence 
the numerous distinct fraternities established for this 
one purpose—to relieve and ransom the Suffering 
Souls. This is the object and statutory addition to 
the titles of the following pious confraternities: The 
Confraternity of the Most Holy Trinity; the Archcon¬ 
fraternity of the Most Precious Blood; the Confra- 


On the Motives for Helping the Suffering Souls. 377 

ternity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus; the Archconfra¬ 
ternity of Perpetual Adoration of the Holy Ghost; the 
Archconfraternity of Perpetual Adoration of the 
Blessed Sacrament under the protection of St. Bene¬ 
dict ; the Association of the Communion of Repara¬ 
tion ; the Archconfraternity of Our Rady of the Sacred 
Heart; the Confraternity of the Rosary ; the Archcon¬ 
fraternity of the Immaculate Heart of Mary for the 
conversion of sinners ; the Archconfraternity of St. 
Joseph ; the Confraternity of St. Michael; the Con¬ 
fraternity of the Cord of St. Francis ; the Society of 
St. Francis Xavier for the conversion of sinners ; the 
Society of St. Vincent de Paul, etc., etc. 

408. By the active and effective assistance of the 
Suffering Souls, as described in .the course of these 
treatises, the three divisions of the kingdom of God, 
the Church militant, the Church triumphant and the 
Church suffering, are most intimately united in mutual 
charity. Our faith in the communion of saints is 
thereby increased to a degree incomprehensible to 
those outside the Church. This devotion leads us to 
the inexhaustible treasury of indulgences, and gives 
its key into our hands. It makes lucid the abstruse 
doctrine of atonement. From the treasury of atone¬ 
ment we may take abundant satisfaction and thereby 
give consolation to innumerable Suffering Souls, thus 
insuring intercession and gratitude to ourselves. In 
heaven we increase joy at the additional conquests of 
the Most Precious Blood; the realm of bliss is popu¬ 
lated with new saints confirmed in justice and joining 
Mary, the angels and saints in eternal thanksgiving. 
The Church militant rejoices at the increased number 
of her protectors. “Relatives,” says Faber, “friends. 


378 


Chapter IV. 


the family, the community, the country have special 
cause to rejoice.” Nature itself is honored, for a creat¬ 
ure has entered the bliss of the Creator and joins for¬ 
ever in His praises. 

409. Devotion to the Suffering Souls is not re¬ 
stricted to words and sentiment, but essentially urges 
and demands action.—St. Benedict Joseph Labre, the 
holy mendicant of Amettes, though abandoning home 
and leading the life of a pilgrim, bears in his mind the 
impress of that picture in the church of his village 
home before which he had so often prayed in youth, 
and his fervor for the release of the Suffering Souls is 
ever on the increase. On his weary path from sanc¬ 
tuary to sanctuary he thinks of their torments, com¬ 
pared with which his sufferings from hunger, thirst, 
exposure and contempt are as nothing. Remember¬ 
ing the yearning of these souls for spiritual refresh¬ 
ment in the fiery furnace, for peace and rest on the 
bosom of their God, he redoubles his charities and 
penances to satisfy Divine Justice for them. Sweet 
and easy are to him the rigors of austere self-denial, 
because he is permitted to unite them with the merits 
of Him whose sufferings were infinitely greater, and 
to offer them in suffrage for the Holy Souls. 

410. The holy mendicant, however, was not con¬ 
tent to devote himself and his whole life to the relief 
of the Suffering Souls. He also did his utmost to in¬ 
cite others to follow his example. A great lover of 
silence and humble reserve, St. Benedict Joseph be¬ 
came eloquent in defense and inculcation of his 
favorite devotion. One day he remarked, “We ought 
to have three hearts united into one; the first replete 
with the love of God, the second overflowing with 


On the Motives for Helping the Suffering Souls. 370 

charity towards our neighbor, the third full of rigor 
towards ourselves. The heart overflowing with charity 
must urge us to implore Jesus and Mary to receive the 
Suffering Souls into the mansions of eternal bliss.” 
Oh, that the hearts of all Christians were of this de¬ 
scription ! But, alas, of a great many the contrary is 
true. Their hearts overflow with indulgence to them¬ 
selves and are full of rigor towards their neighbor. 
But it is also true that devotion to the souls in Pur¬ 
gatory has wrought a change in many a heart, filling 
such Christians with charity towards their neighbor, 
and with rigor towards themselves. Hence such per¬ 
sons no longer decline to make sacrifices, to perform 
acts of self-denial and charity, and to offer prayers for 
the relief of the souls in Purgatory. 

411. Following the example of St. Benedict Jo¬ 
seph, all good Catholics are fervent helpers of the 
souls in Purgatory, constantly eager to perform works 
of charity for their aid. Says Faber, “Behold how all 
the corporal works of mercy are practiced by devotion 
to the Holy Souls. It nourishes the famished souls 
with the Bread of Angels; it allays their thirst with 
the refreshing draught of our Ford’s Precious Blood ; 
it clothes them with heavenly glory; it consoles them 
in their infirmities by visiting them with help; it 
releases the captives from bonds more galling than 
death and gives them the liberty of heavenl}^ bliss; 
it harbors strangers and hastens their admission to the 
haven of eternal rest; it buries the dead in the bosom 
of Jesus, their reward exceeding great. Oh, on the 
last day, when those seven questions on the works of 
mercy will be asked by our Ford, how happy will he 
be, and if he were the poorest mendicant who never 


380 


Chapter IV. 


gave an alms because he had to beg himself, when he 
sees himself eloquently defended by numbers of Holy 
Souls to whom he was merciful during their captivity.” 

412. What comfort and consolation is to be derived 
from this thought: I have released a soul from Purga¬ 
tory; I have performed works of mercy in its favor and 
thereby hastened its entrance into heaven! Will the 
soul thus benefited not continually implore God, “Save 
him who released me” ? This consideration impels us 
to perform the spiritual and corporal works of mercy 
also for our fellow-men here on earth. In the ages of 
faith the weekly and yearly foundations of Masses, 
made for all times and sometimes in several churches, 
were joined with works of mercy, such as distributing 
food and giving clothes to the poor, assisting the sick 
and aged, etc. In addition to these corporal works of 
mercy, the spiritual works also were performed: sin¬ 
ners were corrected, the ignorant were instructed, 
enemies were reconciled, prayers were offered for the 
living and the dead. Thus devotion to the Suffering 
Souls embraces all good works. It • does more; it 
redoubles our zeal, incites us to works of supereroga¬ 
tion, and prompts us to influence others by word and 
example to give alms and to pray for the faithful 
departed. 

413. A remarkable document was drawn up by 
William, Duke of Aquitania, and founder of the Bene¬ 
dictine Abbey of Clugny. After a short preamble on 
making good use of wealth he says, “Be it known to 
all Christians now living and to live in future genera¬ 
tions, that I, Duke William, and my Consort, Duchess 
Engeberga, for the love of our God and Savior Jesus 
Christ, have donated and do donate by these presents 


On the Motives for Helping the Suffering Souls. 381 

our estate of Clugny, on the banks of the Rhone, to 
the holy Apostles Peter and Paul. We make this gift, 
first, for the pure love of God; then for the repose of 
the soul of my father, for the repose of the souls of 
my mother and of my aunt Avana, by whose last will 
this estate was devised to me; finally for the salvation 
of my own and my consort’s soul, for the salvation of 
my brothers and sisters, of my whole household, and 
of all my subjects. And whereas all the faithful are 
united by one bond of charity, we offer this estate of 
Clugny for all the faithful that ever lived, that now 
live and ever shall live to the end of the world, as an 
oblation to God, and hereby declare our will that a 
monastery of the rule of St. Benedict shall imme¬ 
diately be built on it.” The document was written in 
the year 910, and is signed by Duke William and his 
wife, two bishops and several witnesses.—It is only 
one of many others on record, all of which documents 
are of similar import. 

414. The objection that the wealthy alone are able 
to secure help in Purgatory for themselves and their 
relatives, is untenable for the reason, as w^as shown at 
length elsewhere, that confraternities and unions make 
it possible since^the earliest times for even the poorest 
to give their mite for this purpose and so to secure for 
themselves a share of the 'suffrages for the deceased. 
In Catholic countries the records of old churches 
almost everywhere give evidence of the foundation of 
Masses and prayers for all classes: for the deceased of 
the various guilds, for deceased priests, for young men 
and maidens, for parents, for children. This securing 
of charity for the deceased is made so easily attainable, 
that it might almost seem as though individuals were 


382 


Chapter IV. 


relieved of their private obligations in this regard. 
But this is not so. For devotion to the souls in Pur¬ 
gatory makes personal and individual charity towards 
the deceased obligatory. True, others also pray for 
our deceased ; but will they do it with the same zeal 
and devotion as we ourselves, who were so closely 
united with them and are indebted to them for so 
many personal favors ? Personal obligations cannot 
be fulfilled by proxy. Our own prayer united with 
that of others—this is what is pleasing to God. 

415. The devotion to the Suffering Souls enkindles 
our zeal for the performance of our religious duties ; 
but more than this, it also exerts a beneficial influence 
on the fulfilment of the duties of our state of life. The 
trials and troubles inseparable from our daily labor— 
how insignificant will they seem to him before whose 
Spiritual vision looms up the flame of that fiery furnace 
where the Suffering Souls are held captive? Faith 
tells him that many souls are sentenced to Purgatoiy^ 
for their neglect of duty. When the Venerable Frances 
of the Blessed Sacrament was occupied with her daily 
w^ork, she would often see herself surrounded by 
souls from Purgatory who plaintively informed her of 
their sufferings and implored her help. Amongst 
others a Cardinal appeared to her twice; and after 
telling her his name and rank he asked her to pray for 
him; and he concluded saying, “Oh, that I had been a 
simple lay-brother in a convent! For the duties and 
responsibilities of a prince of the Church are exceed¬ 
ingly grave; and because I have not been as attentive 
to some of my duties as I might have been, I, am now 
in the torments of expiation.”—A priest, too, who had 
been connected with the Church of St. Andrew at 


On the Motives for' Helping the Suffering Souls. 383 

Soria, appeared to lier and said, “I suffer frightful 
torments because I sometimes offended against temper¬ 
ance and moderation, thus depriving myself of the 
means of aiding good works.” And he added sorrow¬ 
fully, ”0 Frances, people often think it all-sufficient to 
be a priest; but know that the priesthood is so 
sublime a state, a state of such responsibility, and so 
highly esteemed by God and heaven, that it obligates 
its members to the greatest purity of conscience and to 
great perfection. I may tell you that I scarcely 
succeeded in working out my salvation.” 

416. The motives inherent in the spirit of the 
devotion to the Suffering Souls are therefore so strong 
that they urge us to be magnanimous and constant in 
our efforts for the relief and deliverance of the Holy 
Souls. The benefits of this charity are unlimited ; its 
effects extend not only to the souls in Purgatory, but 
also to heaven and earth. Those who engage in this 
work of charity are themselves greatly benefited by 
it. Hence we append in conclusion of this chapter a 
quotation from Faber: “Were I to demonstrate in 
particular how this devotion unites the three objects : 
promotion of the glory of God, of the interests of Jesus, 
and of the salvation of souls, I should only repeat 
what I have already said. This devotion’s special 
character is fecundity; it is of supernatural efficacy 
and extends everywhere. In it we strike a secret 
source of greater profusion and power than we ex¬ 
pected. It is like an instrument wffiose strings are 
attuned harmoniously to proclaim the glory of God: 
if one of them is touched, they all join in the melo¬ 
dious strain of praise that forever ascends from the 
Sacred Heart of Jesus to the Most Holy Trinity.” 


384 


Chapter V. 


Considering all this, must our hearts not tremble 
with thankful emotion? Must we not wonderingly 
exclaim: O great and holy devotion to the Suffering 
Souls ! Pearls of great price are enclosed in it—pearls 
of living faith, of firm confidence, of love of God and 
neighbor. Oh, let us prove our faith by works ! 
“Faith, if it have not works, is dead in itself.” (James 
II. 7.) “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain 
mercy.” (Matth. v. 7.) 


CHAPTER V. 

Gratitude of the Suffering Souls. 


§ 57. The Suffering Souls Show Their Gratitude by 
Praying for Their Benefactors. 

417. Our Divine Redeemer exhorts us, “Make 
unto you friends of the mammon of iniquity, that 
when yon shall fail, they may receive you into ever¬ 
lasting dwellings.” (Duke xvi. 9.) The souls of the 
faithful whom we deliver from the depths of misery 
and lead to supreme bliss by means of the. “mammon 
of iniquity,” become our most grateful friends and 
incessantly implore God to shower upon us His 
choicest blessings and bounties. We cannot but 
believe that they will remember us in heaven with 
the greatest gratitude. Or would we dare to accuse 
the saints of that base ingratitude which we sometimes 
experience' at the hands of men here below, where, 




Gratitude of the Suffering Souls. 


385 


alas, ingratitude is nothing unusual? Our Divine 
Savior Himself experienced it. “Were not ten made 
clean, and where are the nine?” (Duke xvii. 17.) 
Since and before that time ingratitude was and is still 
of daily occurrence here on earth. But in heaven 
where nothing defiled enters this vice has no place. 
There charity reigns supreme, and base ingratitude is 
banished forever. 

418. From this we may conclude with what 
gratitude all those souls will intercede for us, whose 
admission to heaven we have hastened by our suf¬ 
frages. As gratitude demands that benefits be re¬ 
turned with benefits—will they permit th^ our prayers 
which obtained for them so great a boon shall surpass 
theirs in fervor? As we came to their aid so charitably 
when they were unable to do anything for their own 
relief, will they desert us of whose needs they are so 
well aware? As wayfarers on earth they observed 
the law of Christ—they loved even their enemies, 
doing good to them that hated them ; and now that 
they are in heaven, will they not love their most active 
friends, to whose charity they owe the hastening of 
their bliss, and prove this love by constant interces¬ 
sion for them? St. Alphonsus Diguori says, “Whoso¬ 
ever conies to the aid of these distressed souls, so dear 
to our Lord, may confidently hope to be saved; for if 
such a soul is released through his prayer and good 
works, it prays incessantly for his salvation, and God 
will not refuse to hear His spouse.” Bishop Colmar 
of Mayence, a great friend of the Holy Souls, remarks : 
“If I could know for certain that I had the happiness 
of releasing one of those souls, all my dread and fear 
of eternity would vanish; I should regard my salva- 





386 


Chapter V. 


tion as assured. For such a soul could not witness 
me going to perdition without imploring mercy for 
me so fervently that the Lord would grant me His 
mercy.” 

419. The Suffering Souls in Purgatory do not 
wait until they arrive in heaven to give evidence of 
their gratitude to their benefactors. Even while suf¬ 
fering the most dreadful torments they are anxious to 
return their cliarity; and hence they pray incessantly 
for the spiritual and temporal welfare of those who 
succored them. It is true St. Thomas teaches that 
the state of the Holy Souls is a higher one than ours, 
because it is no longer possible for them to commit 
sin. But their state may also be considered as being 
lower than ours, on account of the punishment the}^ 
are obliged to suffer. Being in a state of suffering 
they are in a position rather to receive than to give 
help. The members of the Church suffering can no 
longer acquire merit, nor can they effectuall}^ make in¬ 
tercession for others. The}^ must render atonement 
to Divine Justice “to the last farthing.”—A drown¬ 
ing, a burning man’s thoughts are centered too 
intently on his own dangers to be drawn to other 
occurrences around him. Thus the Suffering Souls 
are wholly occupied with their torments: “Have 
pity on me, have pity on me, at least you my friends; 
for the hand of the Lord hath touched me.” (Job 
XIX. 21.) And as the souls in the prison of Purga¬ 
tory do not as yet enjoy the vision of God, and are 
therefore not aware of our thoughts, desires and 
prayers, they are not in a position to act as inter¬ 
cessors for us, but they rather have need of our prayers. 


Gratitude of the Suffering Souls. 


387 


420. This is the doctrine of St. Thomas. But as 
the Church has not dogmatically declared for or against 
this doctrine, the question,“Can the souls in Purgatory, 
while in the state of suffering, intercede for us with 
God?” is an open one. Theologians are divided on it, 
and the Church tolerates the opinions of both sides. 
And if we ask the religious sentiment of Catholics in 
general, this question is confidently answered with, 
“Yes!” Most Commentators of St. Thomas declare 
that his doctrine does not conflict with this opinion. 
According to the opinion of the Angelic Doctor—and 
his opinion is the general one—the Suffering Souls are 
not official intercessors for the Church militant in the 
same sense as are the saints in heaven. Their posi¬ 
tion is not that of intercessors, but of beneficiaries for 
whom we ought to intercede ; our position, as far as 
gaining merit and helping them is concerned, being 
preferable to theirs. Our prayer, addressed to God in 
the state of grace, is always heard, according to our 
Savior’s own declaration, “If you shall ask Me any¬ 
thing in My name, that I will do.” (John xiv. 14.) 
These words were addressed to the living, not to the 
dead. 

421. According to St. Thomas it is the will of God 
that the inferior should be assisted by the superior. 
Since it is true that the souls in Purgatory, by reason of 
their captivity, are in a state inferior to ours, it might 
seem, because of this inferior state, that they can not 
pray for us. But as they are also in a state superior to 
ours,sincethey are beyond the possibility of committing 
sin, does it not follow that they pray for us? It is 
not necessary that they should possess every claim in 


388 


Chapter V. 


order to be entitled to pray for us; it is sufficient that 
they possess one. Hence some followers of St.Thomas 
call the doctrine that the Suffering Souls can pray for us 
the common one. For as far as this second reason is con¬ 
cerned, they can be our intercessors the same as the 
saints in heaven, because they are in the grace and 
favor of God. Our motive of praying for the Suffer¬ 
ing Souls should be rather a desire to help them, than 
to receive their help. It should be our principal 
object to pray for their aid and deliverance, ‘rather 
than to obtain their assistance. But their condition 
is no obstacle to their prayer for us. Gregory of 
Valencia maintains that the souls in Purgatory pray 
for the faithful in general, but particularly for those 
who were very dear to them on earth. Bellarmiue, 
Suarez, Sylvius, Gotti, Jungmann and many others are 
of the same opinion. 

422. The renowned theologian Scheeben remarks 
on this question : “The souls in Purgatory being con¬ 
firmed in charity, it seems not only probable, but 
evident that they actually pray. That is, they present 
petitions to God in favor of the Church militant, and 
particularly in favor of their benefactors; otherwise 
their charity would be powerless and inert. If here 
on earth we should and do pray for others, how much 
the more is it not to be expected of those Holy Souls ! 
The state of grace, on which the intercession of the 
Suffering Souls depends as on its fructifying principle, 
is the very principle on which the prayer of all other 
just souls depends for its efficiency. Every just soul 
• is a beloved friend of God. As the souls in Purgatory 
are no less friends of God than the just on earth, it 
would be a deflection from the order of grace if 


Gratitude of the Suffering Souls. 389 

their charity were disregarded and unrequited in 
the very acts which are especially pleasing to God. 
This deflection becomes still more apparent if the 
communion of saints is taken into consideration. This 
communion being the uniting bond of the mystic 
body of Christ, its unity must of necessity be like that 
of any organic body. This unity requires that every 
living member of the whole communion, each in 
his way, shall contribute by his ministrations 
to the welfare of the whole body; that consequently 
no living member shall act as the mere recipient of 
the benefactions of the rest, without himself being 
useful to the others; and particularly that he shall 
not receive favors from the other members without 
' making a return to them by grateful reciprocation.” 

423. Continuing his argument Scheeben adds; 
‘‘This last mentioned motive of gratitude is of special 
import. Its principle is recognized, because it is a 
doctrine universally taught in the Church that the 
Suffering Souls, at least after their entrance into 
heaven, efficiently remember at the throne of God 
those whose benefits they received. But why should 
their gratitude remain sterile and ineffective till then ? 
Is it not true that the Holy Souls are no less dear and 
pleasing to God in Purgatory than they will be later 
in heaven ? Would not their prayer in many instances 
be too late, especially as regards graces to be obtained 
for their benefactors while these latter are yet on 
earth ? And would not the motive to pray for the 
Suffering Souls be greatly weakened—the motive 
arising from their gratitude towards their benefactors 
—if these Souls could pray effectually for their 
liberators only after they are released from Purgatory? 


390 


Chapter V. 


Hence the practice of invoking the Holy Souls is well 
sustained and authorized. First, confidence in the 
gratitude of these Sufferers is revived, and with it our 
zeal to help them. Secondly, this practice leads us to 
consider them not only as Suffering, but also as 
Holy Souls, whose sufferings are not merely pun¬ 
ishments, but also immolations; these souls are con¬ 
sumed by flames of holy love even more than they are 
by the flames surrounding them. Thereby our com¬ 
passion for them receives increased sacredness, and 
makes us sharers in their pure and perfect penitential 
spirit, a spirit so strong and fervent that it cannot be 
equaled anywhere on earth.” 

424. True, for the Church suffering there is no 
longer any time for action, but only for suflering; no ‘ 
longer any time for gaining merit, but only for bowing 
submissively to the will of God and paying indebted¬ 
ness to His Divine Justice “to the last farthing.” But 
this places no obstacle to our intercession for the 
Souls in Purgatory. 

The sinner is separated from Jesus Christ, the 
source of supernatural life; he is a dead member of 
His body. Hence he cannot gain merit for heaven. 
“And if I should distribute all my goods to feed the 
poor, and if I should deliver my body to be burned, 
and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.” (I 
Cor. XIII. 8.) The sinner therefore has no merit of 
his works, however good they may be in themselves, 
even if he should give all his possessions to the poor, 
or suffer martyrdom. But though gaining no merit 
for heaven by his good works, the sinner may obtain 
through them the grace of conversion. God does not 
owe him this grace. If He imparts it to him, it is 


Gratitude of the Suffering Souls. 


391 


granted not as a merit, but as an effect of divine mercy 
in reward for the good disposition shown by the good 
works he performed in co-operation with active grace. 
How effective good works are for conversion is 
demonstrated by Cornelius the centurion, “a just man 
and one that feareth God” (Acts x. 22), whom God led 
to the true faith on account of his good works. It is 
proved by the conversion of the Ninivites: “And God 
saw their works, that they-were turned from their evil 
way: and God had mercy with regard to the evil 
which He had said that He would do them, and He 
did it not.” (Jon. ii. 10.) And of Manasses we also 

read: “He did evil before the I^ord.And after 

that he was in distress, he prayed to the Cord, his 
God, and did penance exceedingly before the God of 
his fathers. And he entreated Him and besought Him 
earnestly: and He heard his prayer and brought him 
again into Jerusalem into his kingdom, and Manasses 
knew that the Cord was God.” (II Paralip. xxxiii.) 

425. Though Manasses was a sinner, God heard 
his prayer: can we imagine that His living Heart will 
refuse to hear the prayers of the Holy Souls, who for¬ 
get their own sufferings to be mindful of the suffer¬ 
ings of others? Even though these Souls cannot 
effectively pray for themselves, will God reject their 
prayers when they pray to preserve their brethren from 
the flames of hell, and if it so please Him, also from the 
purifying flames in which they themselves are con- 
flned ? Can we imagine that God hears the supplica¬ 
tions of sinners, but refuses to hear those of His be¬ 
loved spouses ? God undoubtedly hears them and 
grants their petitions —not because He is bound to do 
so by His promise, or because their prayers are meri- 



392 


Chapter V. 


torious; but simply because He loves these Souls. 
The Suffering Souls, then, can present our needs to 
God by way of intercession ; and God in His mercy 
and love deigns to hear them, though He does not 
always grant their petitions. On earth we can rely 
on God’s promise that He will grant our prayers; the 
saints in heaven can rely for the hearing of their 
prayers on God’s complacency and on their merits; 
the Suffering Souls must rely on God’s love for them. 

426. Concerning the prayer of the Suffering Souls 
for the living, St. Augustine in his treatise on the care 
for the dead writes as follows : Holy Scripture testi¬ 
fies that sometimes the dead are sent to the living, 
while on the other hand St. Paul was transported from 
among the living into paradise. When Saul beheld 
the camp of the Philistines, he was much afraid and 
sought consolation with the Lord. “And he consulted 
the Lord, and the Lord answered him not, neither by 
dreams, nor by spirits, nor by prophets.’’ (I Kings 
XVIII. 6.) And he went to the woman of Endor, who 
called up for him the spirit of Samuel. “And Samuel 
said to Saul: Why hast thou disturbed my rest, 
that I should be brought up ? And Saul said: 
I am in great distress: for the Philistines fight 
against me, and God is departed from me, and 
would not hear me, neither by the hand of pro¬ 
phets, nor by dreams; therefore I have called thee, 
that thou niayest show me what I shall do. And 
Samuel said : Why askest thou me, seeing the Lord 
has departed from thee, and is gone over to thy rival ? 
For the Lord will do to thee as He spoke by me, and 
He will rend thy kingdom out of thy hand, and will 
give it to thy neighbor David: because thou didst not 


Gratitude of the Suffering Souls. 


893 


obey the voice of the Lord, neither didst thou execute 
the wrath of His indignation upon Amalec; therefore 
hath the Lord done to thee what thou sufferest this 
day. And the Lord will also deliver Israel with thee 
into the hands of the Philistines : and to-morrow thou 
and thy son shall be with me, and the Lord will also 
deliver the army of Israel into the hands of the Philis¬ 
tines.” (I Kings XVIII. 15—19.) Thus Samuel proved 
Saul’s protector as in life so also after death, even en¬ 
abling him to prepare for death by announcing it to 
him for the very next day. 

427. Judas the Machabee also, renowned for his 
solicitude for the dead, was visited by apparitions 
from the other world. “Nicanor being puffed up with 
exceeding great pride, sought to set up a public monu¬ 
ment of the victory over Judas. But Machabeus ever 
trusted with all hope that God would help them ; and 
he exhorted his people not to fear the coming of the 
Gentiles, but to remember the help they had before 
received from heaven, and now to hope for victory 
from the Almighty. And speaking to them out of the 
law and the prophets, and withal putting them in mind 
of the battles they had fought before, he made them 
more cheerful. Then after he had encouraged them, 
he showed withal the falsehood of the Gentiles, and 
their breach of oaths. So he armed every one of them, 
not with defence of shield and spear, but with very 
good speeches and exhortations, and told them a dream 
worthy to be believed, whereby he rejoiced them all. 
Now the vision was in this manner: Onias, who had 
been highpriest, a good and virtuous man, modest in 
his looks, gentle in his manners, and graceful in his 
speech, and exercised from a child in all virtues, hold- 


394 


Chapter V. 


ing up his hands, prayed for all the people of the 
Jews. After this there appeared also another man, 
admirable for age and glory, and environed with great 
beauty and majesty. Then Onias, answering, said: 
This is a lover of his brethren, and of the people of 
Israel. This is he that prayeth much for the people, 
and for all the holy city, Jeremias, the prophet of God. 
Whereupon Jeremias stretched forth his right hand, 
and gave to Judas a sword of gold, saying: Take 
this holy sword a gift from God, wherewith thou shalt 
overthrow the adversaries of my people Israel.” (II 
Machab. xv. 6—16.) This apparition of . two just 
souls to Judas Machabeus and his victory over the 
enemy are regarded by some interpreters of Scripture 
as being the reward he received for the twelve thous¬ 
and drachms of silver he had sent to Jerusalem for,sacri¬ 
fice to be offered in atonement for the sins of those 
who had fallen in battle. 

428. Even the reprobate are concerned for the 
salvation of their relatives. When Dives was refused 
the cooling drops of water which he craved in his tor¬ 
ments, he besought Abraham to send Lazarus to his 
father’s house: “For I have five brethren, that he 
may testify unto them, lest they also come into this 
place of torments.” (Luke xvi. 28.) And Abraham 
listened to his prayer, explaining to him that they 
had Moses and the prophets, whom if they did not 
hear, neither would they believe even if one should 
rise again from the dead; which argumentation seems 
to imply that if they had not had Moses and the 
prophets, he might have sent Lazarus to them. Now, 
if Onias and Jeremias, who as yet did not see God 
from face to face, could pray to Him and had their 


Gratitude of the Suffering Souls. 


395 


petitions granted ; if even reprobate sinners, for whom 
the time of merit was past, could implore the mercy 
of heaven—why, then, should the souls in Purgatory 
be denied the privilege of praying for the living ? 
Richard of Mediavilla proves the probable truth of 
this doctrine as follows : “Prayer is a work of charity. 
If the souls in Purgatory prayed for us during their 
mortal life, when not yet confirmed in grace, they will 
do it so much the more, now that they are confirmed 
in grace. True, their prayers, like our own, may not 
alwaj^s be heard, because the Holy Souls do not so 
clearly discern the counsels of God as do the saints in 
heaven. Nevertheless their prayers benefit many, yea, 
all of us, provided no obstacle be placed on our part. 
It follows therefore that the souls in Purgatory 
effectually pray for us, notwithstanding the fact that 
their time of merit by works is past.” 

429. Concerning the comparisons made between 
persons in their death agony and the Holy Souls in 
their agony of suffering, they are in all respects inade¬ 
quate and therefore inadmissible. The reason is this : 
The souls in Purgatory suffer indescribable torments, 
yet they suffer so patiently and with such resignation 
to the will of God, that they experience neither worry 
nor terror. Being assured of their final salvation, 
their pains are no obstacle to their love of God or their 
charity man. Though in a state of terrible pun¬ 
ishment, they are nevertheless convinced that He who 
punishes them regards both them and us with paternal 
complacency. Therefore they are resigned in their 
own sufferings and they remember our needs in their 
prayer. If like our Lord Himself many of these souls 
were able even in this world to preserve perfect equa- 


396 


Chapter V. 


nimity and peace of heart amid the many tribulations, 
persecutions and sorrows that they had to bear, they 
will not lose their composure in the torments of 
Purgatory, where despite their terrible suffering they 
have the consoling assurance of being confirmed in 
the grace of God. Even in this life devout souls fol¬ 
low the example of our Lord, who prayed for the salva¬ 
tion of the world amid the tortures of His crucifixion— 
they remember their friends and enemies in their 
prayers : why should they not be permitted to do so in 
the next world ? 

430. The condition of souls separated from the 
body cannot be compared with the condition of souls 
united with the body. If the body experiences pain, 
the spirit also is affected thereby. Hence Aristotle 
remarks, that the heart of a sick man is continually 
disconsolate and in pain. In illness we are scarcely 
able to formulate a good thought or an act of resigna¬ 
tion to the will of God, as Holy Scripture testifies: 
“For the corruptible body is a load upon the soul, and 
the earthly habitation presseth down the mind.'’ 
(Wisd. IX. 15.) 

431. In proof of what we have just said let us 
adduce the sayings of some of the holy martyrs. 
St. Stephen exclaims, “Behold, I see the heavens 
opened, and the Son of man standing on the right 
hand of God.. . Lord Jesus, receive my spiri^. . . Lord 
Jesus, lay not this sin to their charge.” (Acts vii.) 
St. Tiburtius protests, “I ardently desire to shed my 
blood for Him who for love of me died on the cross. 
I do not fear the glowing coals; for me they will have 
the coolness of dew and the fragrance of roses and car¬ 
nations.” St. Lawrence addresses his tormentor. 


Gratitude of the Suffering Souls. 


397 


“^hou hater of the Christian name, thinkest thgu to 
terrify me by these torments? Know that if these be 
torments, they are so for thee, not for me; fpr I rejoice 
in having to endure them. For a long time I have de¬ 
sired nothing more ardently than to be seated at this 
banquet and to partake of this delicious repast. For 
me the flames are a refreshment; they retain their heat 
to scorch thee for all eternity without consuming thee. 
Behold, my flesh is sufflciently done on one side; turn 
it over and feast on it.”—Hundreds of other examples 
might be cited in proof of the fact that divine grace 
can gain the mastery over bodily pain. 

432. If then the martyrs rejoiced during the most 
cruel torments, we have so much the more reason to 
conclude that the souls in Purgatory, freed from the 
bondage of the body and enjoying the full liberty of 
the spirit, may suffer great torments and nevertheless 
enjoy peace of mind. While suffering intensely, they 
may yet experience great supernal consolations ; they 
may receive favors from God by their prayers and they 
may be in a condition to make magnanimous and 
heroic acts of love for God and man. To comprehend 
still better this peace of soul in the midst of the most 
excruciating torments, we must contemplate the sacred 
humanity of our Ford Jesus Christ. In His passion, 
at the height of His agony, when dying on the cross 
and exclaiming, “My God, My God, why hast Thou 
forsaken Me?” the soul of Jesus was in perfect peace; 
for crying with a loud voice. He said, “Father, into 
Thy hands I commend My spirit.” (Luke xxiii. 46.) 
And according to the testimony of the Evangelists He 
prayed for His enemies even on the cross. - In like 
manner the Holy Souls suffer the most excruciating 


308 


Chapter V, 


torments, while at the same time they are filled with 
heavenly consolations ; the flame of the love of God 
and man burns more strongly within them than does 
the flame of the fire that surrounds them; and this 
love it is that urges them to become our advocates 
with God. 

433. St. Thomas also maintains that the souls in 
Purgatory are not aware of our thoughts, desires and 
prayers, because as yet they do not enjoy the beatific 
vision of God; hence we can not effectually address 
our prayers to them.—True, the Church does not ad¬ 
dress official prayers to the Suffering Souls for the very 
reason adduced by the Angelic Doctor. Besides it 
would be against the general rule of divine order, if 
God were to grant special revelations to the Suffering 
Souls during their term of punishment. Granted 
moreover that they cannot, without God’s special per¬ 
mission, have a full and clear knowledge of all parti¬ 
cular circumstances and occurrences of our lives, at all 
events they know as much of us as we do of them. We 
know that the}^ are in a state of suffering, that they are 
in need of our help, and that we can help them. This 
is sufficient to induce us to pray for them. They know 
of us, by their own experience, that we on earth are 
exposed to many trials, combats, temptations and 
dangers; they know—better than we—the efficacy and 
necessity of divine grace : hence they feel impelled to 
pray for all wayfarers on earth, especially for their re¬ 
lations and benefactors. The learned Suarez doubts 
not that the Suffering Souls pray for us effectively, 
because they are in the friendship and love of God, 
and united with us in holy charity. They remember 
us, he says; they know our needs at least in a general 


Graiihide of the Suffering Souls. 


399 


way, and are probably informed of our special wants 
by the angels or by various other means. He even 
goes further and adds, that they are continually in¬ 
formed concerning us by such souls as come to them 
from this world, and according to St. Augustine by 
special revelations of God. At all events, whenever 
God permits them to experience our aid. He can also 
reveal to them from whom they have received it, and 
what return their benefactors expect. 

434. The following lucid explanation why the 
Church does not address the Holy Souls officially in 
prayer is given by the learned Scheeben: “The 
Church, at least in her official prayers, views the saints 
of heaven as being the persons who are specially and 
properly called and empowered by God to be the true 
mediators for mankind on earth. Enjoying the beati¬ 
fic vision of God and participating in His heavenly 
glory, the}^ are themselves not in need of intercession. 
The Church therefore practices invocation of the saints 
reigning with Christ as an act of veneration due to 
them. The souls in Purgatory on the other hand are 
themselves still in need of the intercession of others, 
the same as are the faithful living on earth; and hence 
their intercession can naturally be implored only in the 
manner in which we implore the intercession of holy 
persons during their earthly life. The invocation* of 
the Poor Souls is therefore a private act of the faith¬ 
ful; and the Church has no occasion, and in fact no 
commission, to approve or authorize this act or prac¬ 
tice of her children by officially addressing her own 
prayers to the Holy Souls. To draw an adverse con¬ 
clusion from this act of the Church would be permis¬ 
sible only in case that she reproved or prohibited this 


400 


Chapter V. 


invocation when publicly practiced. As a matter of 
fact however, this practice is tolerated not only in 
Bavaria, but also in Italy, under the very eyes of the 
Supreme Pontiff.” 

435. The Holy Souls are not invoked by the 
Church in her official prayers, they are not recognized 
officially by her as intercessors, because public invoca¬ 
tion, as officially addressed to the saints by the Church, 
is at the same time an act of veneration—an honor re¬ 
served soley for those who are in the state of glory, 
and not accorded to saints on earth nor to the souls 
in Purgatory. True, here on earth we may privately 
ask saintly servants of God, and even our relatives 
and friends, for their prayer; and we do so often, 
saykig, “Pray for me,” or, “Let us remember one 
another in prayer.” This is not, nor can it be, offen¬ 
sive to anyone. But the Church cannot officially 
accord this honor to any mortal, since it is reserved 
by God to the sharers of His eternal bliss. Hence she 
does not officially invoke the intercession of living 
servants of God, nor of any living person whatsoever. 
Thus also the invocation of the Holy Souls must be 
left to private devotion; and the confidence in the 
power of their intercession will increase in the hearts 
of the faithful in the same measure as they multiply 
their suffrages for them. 

436. This private invocation of the Holy Souls is 
not only •permitted in the same way in which we in¬ 
voke the prayers of saintly persons, good friends, or 
the poor to whom we give alms asking their prayers 
in return; it is moreover very commendable to invoke 
them with particular confidence, because the Holy 
Souls being most grateful will show their gratitude by 


Gratitude of the Suffermg Souls. 


401 


their intercession, which easily finds favor with God 
on account of their sanctity. God will then grant our 
requests not simply in reward for our charity, but 
also to prove thereby that the intercession of the 
Holy Souls is very efficacious. When Onias and 
Jeremias prayed for Israel, were they not heard? St. 
Thomas teaches that the Holy Souls, with God’s 
permission, can leave their place of confinement and 
appear visibly in this world, both for the purpose of 
exhorting and warning the faithful, as also to obtain 
help for themselves. He adds that God also employs 
them sometimes as His messengers instead of the 
angels. St. Gregory relates that God wrought 
miracles through St. Paschasius even while the saint 
was still detained in Purgatory. The same is related 
by St. Peter Damian of St. Bngelhart, archbishop of 
Cologne. 

Hence w^e conclude with Suarez and many other 
learned and holy theologians, that the devotion to the 
Holy Souls and the invocation of their intercession 
are both lawful and profitable. 

§ 58. The Gratitude of the Suffermg Souls Towards 
Their Benefactors is Manifested Interiorly 
and Exteriorly. 

437. The gratitude of the souls in Purgatory to¬ 
wards their benefactors is marvellous indeed. True 
gratitude manifests itself both interiorly and exterior¬ 
ly—interiorly, by evoking sentiments of grateful and 
lasting acknowledgment; exteriorly by giving ex¬ 
pression to these sentiments in words, and by return¬ 
ing the favors received from others whenever there is 

27 * 


402 


Chapter V. 


an opportunity of doing so. The souls in Purgatory 
show their gratitude to us in all these ways. Above all 
they acknowledge the reception of benefits. In Holy 
Scripture w'e find the following exaniples of gratitude : 
Pharaoh was grateful to Joseph, Raguel to Moses, 
the Israelites to Rahab, David to Abiathar, Elias to the 
widow of Sarepta, Saul to the Cinites, Naaman. to 
Elias the prophet, Tobias, father and son, to the arch¬ 
angel Raphael, the inhabitants of Jabes to Saul, As- 
suerus to Mardocheus, Nabuchodonosor and Darius to 
Daniel, St. Paul to Phoebe, etc. It has already been 
demonstrated that the souls in Purgatory can show 
themselves grateful towards their benefactors. Wh}' 
should they not do so ? 

438. During the late Franco Prussian war several 
wounded and captive Germans, officers and privates, 
were quartered in the chateau of a noble French lady. 
She, an aged widow, not only ordered her servants to 
look after the welfare of her guests, but also convinced 
herself by her own personal observation that they 
were well cared for. She ministered most kindly to 
the wants of all. Such as understood French she en¬ 
couraged with comforting words, while on those who 
could not understand the language she bestowed 
special acts of kindness. Many a grateful prayer 
ascended to heaven for this humane lady. A young 
officer, whose wounds she bandaged personally, was 
deeply touched by her devotedness; and accordingly 
he one day addressed to her the question, “My dear 
madam, why are you so anxious for the welfare of the 
enemies of your country?” Sorrowfully she replied, 
“My son is an officer in the French army. He was 
wounded and made a prisoner. A German mother took 


Gratitude of the Suffering Souls. 


408 


pity on him, received him into her house, and nursed 
him. He recovered, and it is to this good woman that 
I owe his preservation. I now imitate her example 
from gratitude to her and to our good God.” 

439. Tears glistened in the good lady’s eyes. The 
officer was silent; his thoughts wandered to his far¬ 
away home, to his own dear mother, of whom this 
kind French lady reminded him so much. The lady 
had written several letters to her son’s benefactress, 
but had as 3^et received no answer. While she was 
still standing at the couch of the wounded officer, a 
servant entered and handed her a letter. Glancing 
hastily at the address, she opened the envelope; and 
soon she exclaimed, “Thanks be to God! My bene¬ 
factress, the benefactress of my son, has at last sent 
me her photograph.” She showed the picture to the 
officer. Scarcely had he glanced at it, when he ex¬ 
claimed, “My mother’s picture!” “Your mother’s ?” 
tremblingly asked the lady; and on being assured that 

she had not misunderstood the officer’s words, she fell 

» 

on her knees and gave vent to her feelings in the follow¬ 
ing prayer : “O God, Thou hast entrusted tome the son 
of my benefactress. How I thank Thee from my 
inmost soul!” If the feeling of gratitude is so deeply 
rooted in the human heart here on earth, how strong 
must it be with a soul in the other world, a soul un¬ 
alterably confirmed in the love of God? 

440. Can there be even the smallest doubt that 
the Suffering Souls, these spouses of Christ, are in¬ 
wardly grateful for benefits received? The souls in 
Purgatory become aware that their punishment has 
been mitigated and shortened; and immediately they 
ask themselves the question : “Who may the charit- 


404 


Chapter V. 


able person be to whom I am indebted for so great a 
favor?” And the greater and more intense the tor¬ 
ments which the souls had to endure, the greater and 
stronger will be their inner sentiment of gratitude. It 
is probable, as was already observed, that the souls 
are informed by special divine revelation or through 
their guardian angels who the persons are that come to 
their relief. Their gratitude towards these persons will 
last throughout all eternity; for such is the will of 
their Divine Spouse, expressed in Holy Writ, “Forget 
not the kindness of thy surety ; for he hath given his 
life for thee.” (Eccli. xxix. 20.) And St. Paul says, 
“But above all things have charity, which is the bond 
of perfection. And let the peace of Christ rejoice in 
your hearts, wherein also you are called in one body: 
and be ye thankful.” (Coloss. iii. 14, 15.) “In all 
things give thanks; for this is the will of God in 
Christ Jesus concerning you all.” (I Thessal. v. 18.) 

441. The sentiment of gratitude felt interiorly 
soon finds expression in words. If this is the case 
even in this life—if grateful men become eloquent 
when thanking their benefactors ; how much the more 
so may we expect the same of the Holy Souls in 
Purgatory ! This was experienced by Father Conrad, 
a zealous servant of God in the seraphic Order of 
Friars Minor. One night, while praying for the soul 
of a lately deceased brother, and having said only one 
“Our Father” with the versicle, “Eternal rest,” etc., 
the brother .appeared to him ; and having reverently 
thanked him, he added, “O Father, if you could but 
know how greatly I was relieved in my torments by 
this short prayer, you would instantly repeat it. For 
the sake of God’s mercy, continue in prayer!” The 


Gratitude of the Suffering Souls. 


405 


good priest continued his prayer, persevering in it till 
he saw the brother’s soul gloriously ascend to heaven. 
St. Bristan, a holy bishop, was accustomed to pass the 
night in the cemetery. When closing his prayer with 
the words, “May they rest in peace!” he would often 
hear from the graves the response, “Amen ! Amen !’’ 
Father Julius Mancinelli, of the Society of Jesus, had 
an almost continual intercourse with the souls in Pur¬ 
gatory. They visited him, thanked him, and assured 
him that he had lessened their pain by his prayer. 
Blessed Frances, a Carmelite nun, was also frequently 
visited by souls from Purgatory. They followed her 
wherever she went, some thanking her, others recom¬ 
mending themselves to her prayer. If she .said the 
rosary, they would devoutly touch and kiss the beads. 

442. Anna Mary Taigi, a holy woman of Rome, 
was also privileged often to see released souls, who 
came to thank her. One day she intended to receive 
holy communion in the basilica of St. John Lateran, 
and to offer it for a certain deceased person. During 
the first Mass at which she assisted, and which was 
celebrated by her confessor, she was suddenly attacked 
with a great depression of spirit joined with severe 
bodily pains. Nevertheless she continued in prayer 
and offered up her illness in atonement to divine 
justice. Then Cardinal Pedicini began his Mass. At 
the Gloria the saintly woman was suddenly seized 
with great supernatural joy and consolation. Then a 
soul just released from Purgatory appeared to her and 
said, “I thank thee, my sister, for thy compassion. I 
will remember thee at the throne of God; for thanks 
to thy prayer I now go to enter heaven, where I shall 
be in bliss forever.” 


406 


Chapter V. 


443. Omitting a great number of other instances 
that might be cited in confirmation of the fact that the 
departed souls may personally express their gratitude 
for the least help by which we assist them, we append 
one related by Pere Lacordaire in his “Conferences on 
the Immortality of the Soul.” The Polish prince X., 
an infidel, had just finished and was about to publish 
a book combating the immortality of the soul. One 
day, as l^e was walking in his park, a woman fell at his 
feet weeping. She addressed him sorrowfully, “Illus¬ 
trious prince, my husband died a short time ago. 
Probably his soul is now in Purgatory, suffering 
greatly. I am so poor that I cannot even afford the 
customary alms to have a Mass celebrated for the re¬ 
pose of his soul. Please help me to come to the aid of 
my husband.” Despite his own disbelief in the future 
existence, he was moved by her appeal and gave her 
a gold coin which he happened to have with him. The 
happy woman hastened to church and had a Mass 
said for her husband. Three days after, towards even¬ 
ing, the prince retired to his library, and there began 
to occupy himself with reading and correcting his 
book. Hearing a noise he looked around, and he saw 
before him a man dressed in the peasant’s garb of the 
village. Astonished and angry at the disturbance, the 
prince aro.se and was about to address the intruder, 
when lo, he disappeared. The prince now called his 
servants and asked, “Why do you permit people to 
enter here without my leave?” “What people?” they 
asked in reply. “That man, that peasant, who just 
left this room.” “Please be assured, sir, that no one 
has been admitted here,” they all replied. “There 
was no stranger here, not even in the palace.” The 


Gratitude of the Suffering Souls. 407 

prince silently dismissed them, but was convinced that 
somebody had been in the room. Next day he had 
forgotten the incident, when the stranger again ap¬ 
peared in the same place and at the same hour, not 
saying a word. This time the prince’s anger knew no 
bounds; and rising to chastise the intruder, he saw 
him again vanishing before his eyes. He aroused the 
whole house to capture the man, but he was nowhere 
to be found. Nobody could explain the strange oc¬ 
currence. The prince now anxiously awaited the next 
evening, resolved to have an explanation from his 
strange visitor. And he came. But before the prince 
could utter a word, the unknown man addressed him 
as follows: “Prince, I come to thank you. I am the 
husband of that poor woman to whom you gave an 
alms a few days ago to enable her to have a Mass said 
for the repose of my soul. This your charity pleased 
God, and He permitted me to come and thank you, 
and to assure you that there is a next life, that the 
soul is immortal. It must be your task to make good 
use of this favor for your own eternal welfare.” After 
these words the Polish peasant disappeared. The 
prince’s book against the immortality of the soul was 
not published. 

444. The Holy Souls are not content to express 
their gratitude in words ; they return the benefits 
conferred on them by manifold services rendered to 
their benefactors. It was already explained that the 
Holy Souls can pray for us, and that while they are 
unable to do anything for themselves, they can exert 
themselves in their fiery prison in favor of others. 
They continually practice various exercises of virtue; 
but they cannot thereby obtain for themselves a 


408 


Chapter V. 


hastening or increase of their glory, or a lessening of 
their punishment. They are in a state of suffering 
until the payment of “the last farthing” is made; for 
they can no longer atone. Hence they are dependent 
on the atonement made for them by their brethren on 
earth. The more strictly divine justice insists on due 
satisfaction, the more liberally divine mercy grants 
the favors which the Suffering Souls implore for their 
benefactors. Thus God encourages us in our charity 
for them, and consoles them by granting their peti¬ 
tions. The possibilty of the intercessory power of 
the Holy Souls being beyond doubt, their exercise of 
this power must not be questioned. 

445. St. Bridget heard the souls in Purgatory 
call to heaven, saying in a loud voice, “O merciful 
God, reward a hundred-fold the charity of them that 
by their good works assist us to come from out of this 
darkness to the eternal light and to attain to Thy 
beatific vision.” If the Holy Souls pray thus to God, 
whose beloved children they are: will He not hear 
them ? And should we therefore not be inspired with 
great confidence in their help ? Their aid will be for 
us a continual source of favors; for their prayer 
posse.sses all the qualities that render it efficient and 
pleasing to God : a living faith, great frequency, 
ardent charity, the purest of intentions. Unlike 
ourselves, they have not to repel the thousand 
distractions of a troubled imagination; their love for us 
is not impaired by selfish, interested motives. Even 
their tears, their torments and their loving resigna¬ 
tion to the will of God are prayers—sweet incense in 
golden censers borne by the angels to the throne of 
the Lamb, there to find a gracious acceptance. 


Gratitude of the Suffering Souls. 


409 


446. St. Catherine of Bologna testifies that when¬ 
ever she asked a favor of God she always had recourse 
to the Holy Souls, and that she almost always obtained 
what she asked for. And she adds, that many favors 
which she did not obtain through the saints of heaven 
were granted to her through the intercession of the 
Suffering Souls. The Venerable Frances of the 
Blessed Sacrament assures us that the Holy Souls 
assisted her in all dangers, and disclosed to her the 
snares of the devil. A soul appearing to her said, 
“However much the evil spirits may persecute 3^ou 
—fear not; we will always defend you.” Another 
soul assured her, “We pray daily for you ; and as often 
as anyone remembers us, we also remember him and 
intercede for him with God. Especially do we im¬ 
plore for him the grace to serve God well and to die a 
happy death.” The same was declared by a holy 
soul appearing in 1870. The contemplation of the 
faults for which the Holy Souls are suffering induced 
the Venerable Eindmayer to avoid these same faults 
herself. The Holy Souls reminded her of her 
spiritual exercises and warned her when she was in 
danger of committing a fault. Hence she remarks, 
“By devotion to the Holy Souls our progress in virtue 
and perfection is greatly hastened.” The Venerable 
Crescentia was accustomed to invoke the aid of the 
Holy Souls whenever she wished to obtain special 
favors from God; and she assures us that as a rule 
she was heard immediately. 

447. The same is true to-day of thousands of 
devout Christians who present their petitions to God 
through the Holy Souls: as a rule they are successful 
in obtaining what they desire. If the Holy Souls can 


410 


Chapter V. 


and do achieve such results while still in torment, it 
follows that they can and do obtain still more for us 
after their entrance into heaven. There is every rea¬ 
son to believe that the very first favors they ask of 
God’s mercy are for those to whom they owe their 
more speedy entrance into glory ; and that they will 
continue their intercession as long as they see their 
benefactors in spiritual or temporal danger. St. Gre¬ 
gory says that there are thousands of instances from 
which may be learned how efficiently the Holy Souls 
can help in distress, illness, danger of war and death, 
etc., even while they are yet in torments. They 
obtain for us health in sickness, aid in poverty, relief 
in distress, counsel in doubt, and protection in danger ; 
they assist us in temporal affairs and in the affairs of 
our salvation, coming to our aid especially at the hour 
of death and before the tribunal of judgment. Even 
after death their benefactors experience their grati¬ 
tude, for they implore for them a speedy release from 
Purgatory. All this will be made apparent by the 
following theses and examples. 

S 59. The Suffering Souls Aid Their Benefactors 

in Temporal Affairs. 

448. There are many examples from which we can 
learn to what extent the saints on earth exercised 
charity towards suffering humanity. St. Mary Mag¬ 
dalen was wont to say that she was happier serving 
her fellowmen than she could be by engaging in con¬ 
templation ; and she gave the following reason : “If 
I am engaged in contemplation, God aids me; but 
when I aid my neighbor, I serve God. Our Divine 


Gratitude of the Suffering- Souls. 


411 


Savior Himself declares that we do unto Him all that 
we do for our neighbor.” Even the common senti¬ 
ment of humanity demands that we aid one another. 
Henry IV. and a number of his courtiers one day en¬ 
gaged in hunting in the woods. A young nobleman of 
his train found a poor old man, who had gathered fag¬ 
gots and had fallen beneath the weight of his burden. 
Scarcely had the young man noticed this when he 
sprang from his horse, went to the poor man and 
raised him up. Noticing that he was hurt by the fall 
and bled profusely, he not only gave him all the money 
he had about him, but also ordered his servant to place 
him on his horse and to conduct him to a physician. 
Then he rejoined the king’s train. One of the cour¬ 
tiers reprimanded the young man for his behavior, 
and asked him if he was not ashamed at having left 
the king for a beggar. “Why should I be ashamed ?”^ 
rejoined the truly noble young man. “Should I un¬ 
charitably omit a humane action which does not inter¬ 
fere with the service I owe to the king? You should 
rather be ashamed for not being willing to do the 
same.” The good king, who had secretly and from a 
distance observed the whole affair, and had also heard 
the young man’s reply, was so well pleased that he 
thenceforth placed the greatest confidence in the 3^oung 
nobleman. 

449. If a human ruler thus highly esteems a 
charitable action done by one of his subjects to another, 
what a reward may he not expect who performs charit¬ 
able acts for the sake of Him who said, “Amen, I say 
to you, as long as you did it to one of these my least 
brethren, you did.it to Me!” (Math. xxvi. 40.) God 
often rewards such charitable acts even here on earth. 


412 


Chapter V. 


St. Klizabetli one day came down from the Wartburg 
castle bearing in her apron food for the poor, when 
suddenly her husband stood before her. “Let me see 
what you have there !“ he said, drawing back her 
cloak. And to his astonishment he beheld the most 
beautiful white and red roses. To reassure his beloved 
wife he was about to address some words of encour¬ 
agement to her, when behold, there appeared above 
her a shining crucifix. And greatly wondering, he 
took one of the miraculous roses, which he reverently 
preserved. In her childhood this charitable saint 
played at jumping-rope in the church-yard; and as 
often as she jumped she said, “May they rest in peace !” 
meaning the souls of those interred there. And her 
playmates had to repeat the same ejaculation.—St. 
Zitta, a holy servant-girl, was one day accosted by a 
beggar. As she had nothing else to give, she went to 
the well and filled a pitcher with cool, sparkling water, 
w^hich she presented to the beggar to refresh him. 
And he found the water turned into generous wine.— 
At Amiens in France St. Martin met a beggar shiver¬ 
ing in the cold from want of clothing. Taking his 
sword he cut in two the soldier’s cloak he wore, and 
gave one-half to the beggar. His soldier comrades 
laughed at him; but during the following night our 
Lord appeared to him wearing that very half of his 
cloak; and addressing the angels that surrounded 
Him, He said, “Martin, still a catechumen, covered 
Me with this cloak.”—St. John of God one day found 
a poor boy shivering with cold and walking barefoot 
in the street. He took him up into his arms to bring 
him to an asylum. At first his burden was very light, 
but its weight continued to increase, so that he finally 


X 


Gratitude of the Suffering Souls. 


413 


fell to the ground. And the boy appeared to him as 
Christ, our Cord, who said to him showing him a 
pomegranate surmounted by a cross, “John, thou wilt 
find thy cross at Granada.” And Jesus disappeared, 
leaving in the charitable man’s heart that ardent desire 
of serving Him in His poor, by which he attained to 
such great sanctity.—St. Paulinus sold himself into 
slavery to ransom a poor widow’s son. God was so 
well pleased with this heroic act of charity, that he 
inspired the Vandal king to set the holy bishop free, 
together with all the slaves belonging to his diocese, 
and he moreover presented him with several ship-loads 
of provisions.—St. Elizabeth, mentioned before, was 
moved by compassion for a poor leper to cleanse his 
wounds ; then she anointed them with oil, and put the 
sufferer into her own bed. Her husband, the land- 
grave,,when informed thereof, thought it an excess of 
charity, and went to see the man. On removing the 
coverlet, behold, before his eyes appeared the Cruci¬ 
fied. And turning to his holy spouse he said, “Eliza¬ 
beth, dear sister, such guests are ever welcome to my 
bed. Let no one prevent thy charitable practices.” 

450. If charity causes Omnipotence to perform 
such miracles even in this world; if we poor sinners 
can help one another by our prayers here below; is it 
probable that God will show less favor when the 
Suffering Souls desire to come to our aid, when they 
implore His mercy for us ? The thought is repugnant 
to a religious mind, and God Himself signifies that the 
idea is proved untenable ; for He graciously hears and 
grants in our favor the petition of the Holy Souls.— 
Gregory Carfora, a canon regular, writes, “At Naples 
a poor man, the sole support of his family, was im- 


414 


Chapter V. 


prisoned for debt. His wife was in great distress not 
only because now the burden of providing for the 
family rested on her, but also because she w^as ex¬ 
pected to cancel her husband’s debt. In this strait 
she had recourse to a rich man, who was noted for his 
charity towards the poor. She presented a well-written 
petition, but received only a small coin. Still more 
depressed by this repulse she went to the next church 
to pour out her heart before God, the true Father of 
. the poor. While praying fervently before the altar a 
thought suddenly occurred to her mind, suggested 
perhaps by her guardian angel: she remembered the 
powerful help rendered by the Holy Souls to those 
who invoke their aid. Filled with great confidence 
she took the little money she had, and gave it to have 
a Mass said for them. On leaving the church she was 
met by a venerable old man, who addressed her most 
pleasantly and inquired for the cause of her sadness. 
Having told him her misfortunes, he gave her a letter 
which she was to deliver to a certain nobleman in the 
city ; and then he left her. She immediately set out to 
fulfil the errand. The gentleman to whom the letter 
was addressed was greatly astonished, when on receiv¬ 
ing it he recognized the handwriting of his deceased 
father; and accordingly he asked her who had given her 
the letter. She answered that an old-venerable look¬ 
ing gentleman had given it to her. Glancing around 
the room her eyes rested on a portrait; and in great 
surprise she added that he looked exactly like the 
figure on that picture, only more cheerful. With 
trembling hand the man now opened the letter, which 
contained the following words, “My son: At this very 
moment thy father is leaving Purgatory to go to 


Gratitude of the Sufferi7ig Souls. 


415 


heaven, released by means of a Mass which this poor 
woman caused to be celebrated. Therefore I com¬ 
mend her to thee. Be grateful, and reward her well; 
for she is greatly in need.” The gentleman repeatedly 
read these words, tears meanwile streaming from his 
eyes ; and the oftener he read them, the more they 
consoled him. “Oh, my poor friend!” he exclaimed, 
“with your little alms you conferred so great a favor 
on my father. I will reward your charity most bounti¬ 
fully ; henceforth neither 3^ou nor yours .shall suffer 
from want.” 

451. the command of Pope Gregory VIII. 

Christopher Sandoval, archbishop of Sevilla, pro¬ 
claimed to the world what had occurred to him while 
a student at the university of Louvain. From early 
youth he had been accustomed to give all the money 
he could save in alms for the Suffering Souls. Once, 
when his usual allowance failed to arrive from Spain, he 
was in such distress that he even suffered for want of 
food. But what grieved him most was that he could 
no longer give alms. Not being able to help the Poor 
Souls in any other way, he one day denied himself 
his customary meal ; he went to church hungry, there 
at least to pray for the Suffering Souls. He had 
scarcely knelt, w^hen he saw at his side a beautiful 
youth in traveler’s costume, who courteously invited 
him to dine with him and to receive news from Spain. 
Christopher accompanied him, somewhat awed by the 
unusual demeanor of the stranger. At the end of 
their meal the visitor gave him a purse filled with 
gold, telling him to use it to defray his expenses. As 
to himself, he would apply to the student’s father for 
the refunding of the money. And with this he took 


416 


Chapter V. 


his leave. Christopher searched everywhere for the 
mysterious stranger; but neither in Louvain, nor 
later in Spain, did he ever hear of him. His father 
also never was asked to make good the loan. Hence 
the young man took it for granted that a soul from 
Purgatory had come to his aid in gratitude for his 
charity. He was still more confirmed in this view 
because the sum of money he had received lasted just 
till his usual allowance arrived, which had been de¬ 
layed by an accident. 

452. Sister Macrina Mieczystawska, Superioress 
of a convent at Minck, a victim of the persecution 
under Czar Nicholas, came to Rome and had an 
audience with Pope Pius IX. He desired her to 
publish a description of the sufferings endured by her 
and her Sisters during a period of seven years. She 
relates as follows: “In 1843 the apostate Simearsko 
« had us cast into prison and restricted us for six days 
to a fare of salt herrings. Daily every Sister received 
half a herring, without bread and water, thus to force 
us by thirst to abjure our faith. During the first two 
days we were tortured fearfully by thirst, so that the 
skin was parched from our lips and palates. In this 
torment we contemplated the thirst of the Suffering 
Souls in Purgatory, and encouraged one another, say¬ 
ing, ‘If our thirst is so painful, when it might be re¬ 
lieved by a glass of water, how great must the thirst 
be that consumes the Suffering Souls! They are 
surrounded by fire ; and yet they do not yearn for 
earthly water, but for the fountain of living waters, 
God Himself, by whom alone their thirst can be 
quenched.’ And we prostrated ourselves on the 
ground to pray for the Suffering Souls. God had 


Gratitude of the Suffering Souls. 


417 


mercy on us : thenceforth we suffered neither from 
hunger nor from thirst. When on the seventh day 
our prison w^as opened and we were driven to our usual 
hard labor, the guards imagined we would hasten to 
the well; but we voluntarily obtained from drink 
also on the seventh day in honor of the seven dolors 
of our Sorrowful Mother Mar}^ During those six 
days Wierowkin and two Russian popes often 
visited us, threatening us with new tortures if we 
did not apostatize. When the former saw us well 
and in good spirits, he angrily exclaimed, ‘Forsooth, 
it seems I cannot kill them; they do not eat, and yet 
they are healthy and strong. It seems every one of 
them is possessed by a devil that suffers for her’.” 

453. A poor servant girl, who had been well in¬ 
structed in her religion in youth, had the pious custom 
of having a Mass said every month for the faithful de¬ 
parted. Even after she removed to the city with her 
employers, she never omitted it once. Moreover she 
had made it her duty to attend the Mass herself, and 
to unite her prayer with that of the priest, particularly 
for that soul whose purification was nearest to com¬ 
pletion. This was her usual prayer. God tried this 
poor servant girl by a tedious illness, during which she 
not only had to suffer great pain, but also lost her place 
and had to expend her last savings. On her recovery, 
when she was able to go out for the first time, only 
one franc, (equivalent to nearly twenty-five cents,) .w^as 
left to her. After sending a devout appeal to heaven 
she looked about for a new position. She had heard 
of an employment office at the other end of the town, 
and on her way there she entered the church of St. 

Eustace. Seeing the priest at the altar it occurred to 

28 * 


418 


Chapter V. 


her that she had not ordered her usual Mass that 
month ; and moreover, chat this was the ver}^ day on 
which it had been her custom to have the Mass said. 
What was she to do ? If she parted with her last 
franc, she had not even wherewith to appease her 
hunger. She struggled between piety and human 
prudence, but the former triumphed. “At all events, 
God knows that I do it for His glory ; and He will 
not abandon me.” She resolutely entered the sacris¬ 
ty, made known her request, and then devoutly as¬ 
sisted at the Holy Sacrifice. Afterwards she pro¬ 
ceeded on her way, not without apprehensions con¬ 
cerning her future. What will become of her, entirely 
destitute as she is, if she finds no position ? While 
she went her way troubled with these thoughts, a pale 
young man of noble bearin'g addressed her, “You are 
looking for a place, are you not?”—“Yes, sir!”— 

“Well, go to .street, number., and ask for 

Madam. I think she will engage you, and you 

will have a good home with her.” He disappeared 
among the crowd without taking notice of the girl’s 
expressions of gratitude. She inquired for the street, 
found the number, and rang the door-bell. While she 
was waiting, a servant girl left the house with wrathful 
mutterings of discontent. Of her she inquired, “Is 
the lady of the house at home?”—“Yes,” was the 
reply. “She may answer the bell herself; I am done 
with her.” And angrily she descended the steps and 
left. Immediately after a mild and noble-looking lady 
opened the door, and in a soft voice inquired about her 
wishes. The girl replied, “Madam, I was told this 
morning that you were in need of a chamber-maid, 
and I have come to ask you for the place. I was as- 





Gratitude of the Sufferhig Souls. 


419 


sured that you would treat me kindly.” In great 
astonishment the lady answered, “My dear child, this 
is indeed a great surprise. It is scarcely half an 
hour since I dismissed the rude servant you met at the 
door ; and I thought, with the exception of us two, 
nobody could know anything about the affair. Who 
can have sent you ?” The girl replied, “It was a young 
man. Madam. He met me ©n the street after I had left 
the church. And I thank God with all my heart for 
this providential meeting, for I must find a place to¬ 
day since I have not a cent left.” The lady was 
greatly perplexed, and could find no explanation for 
the extraordinary occurrence. Meanwhile the girl 
glanced around the room, and her eyes rested on a 
portrait hanging against the wall. “Oh, Madam !” she 
now joyfully exclaimed, “see, there is the picture of 
the young man that sent me to you.” At these words 
the lady showed great emotion and almost fainted. 
After recovering her composure, she bade the girl to 
tell her the whole story. Thus she became acquainted 
with the poor servant’s devotion to the Holy Souls, 
heard of the Mass she had caused to be celebrated for 
them that morning, and received a detailed account of 
her meeting with the young man. When the simple 
recital was finished, the good lady embraced the girl 
and said, “Dear child, you shall not be my servant, 
but my daughter. It was my son who sent you to me. 
He died two years ago ; and to you he owes his release 
from Purgatory. I do not doubt it in the least; and 
I am certain God permitted him to send you to me. 
I bid you welcome. Det us henceforth jointly pray 
for all souls still suffering in Purgatory, that they may 
be admitted to eternal bliss.” 


420 


Chapter V, 


454. In the life of Eusebius, Duke of Sardinia, 
who lived in the thirteenth century, we read the fol¬ 
lowing extraordinary occurrence. Not content with 
praying for the Suffering Souls, he had devoted 
the tenth part of his income to suffrages for their 
release. Compelled to engage in war with Ostor- 
gius, king of Sicily, he was so hard pressed by 
the army of his foe, that he was about to leave the 
city. That very morning he saw a mighty army come 
to his assistance—an army numbering apparently 
about forty thousand warriors, horse and foot, all clad 
in white uniforms. Ostorgius, too, saw them and was 
seized with such consternation, that he sued for peace. 
Eusebius thanked God and his strange allies for the 
help he had received, when'the leader of the unknown 
army addressed him as follows: “Know, Eusebius, that 
the soldiers you see here are souls who were, nearly all 
of them, released by you from Purgatory. The Eord of 
hosts has sent us to your aid. Continue in your devo¬ 
tion to the Holy Souls. The more souls you release 
from Purgatory, the more protectors you will have in 
heaven, where they will continually implore God for 
your welfare.”—Father Louis Monaco, a canon regu¬ 
lar, had a similar experience.—Once while travelling 
alone, he recited the rosary for the deceased, as was 
his custom to do on every such occasion. Two rob¬ 
bers, seeing him approach, intended to murder him. 
But the grateful souls came from Purgatory to protect 
and assist their benefactor. They surrounded him as 
a guard; and the robbers, seeing the priest suddenly 
encircled by soldiers, fled in precipitate haste. 

455*. The following incident also occurred in the 
middle ages—that eventful period, when Italy was 


Gratitude of the Suffering Souls. 


421 


convulsed with internal strife, when might triumphed 
over right, when blood was profusely spilt in private 
feuds. There was a soldier who amid all this 
tumult of war and personal hatred had persevered in 
piety, rectitude and purity of morals. He was a de¬ 
vout patron of the Holy Souls, and had even made a 
vow never to pass a cemetery without entering it if 
possible, and spending some time in prayer for the 
faithful departed. One day while taking a solitary 
walk he was met by a party of the enemy’s soldiers. 
Being entirely without weapons to ward off an attack, 
he betook himself to flight. Scaling a wall in his way, 
he found himself in a cemetery. He remembers his 
vow; but if he tarries one moment he is lost, for his 
pursuers are at his heels. Nevertheless his faith and 
devotion assert their power. “For the love of God 
and the Holy Souls,” he says; and then he kneels 
down to recite his customary prayer. But lo, his ene¬ 
mies have espied him; they too scale the wall and are 
astonished to see him kneeling devoutly in prayer. 
Still they push on, thinking it impossible for him to 
escape. But what is this? In a moment the cemetery 
is alive with soldiers. They form in line of battle, 
attack the enemy and put him to flight. All this 
happened in a few moments. The pious soldier had 
heard a disturbance going on behind him, but had not 
interrupted his prayer to look around. Having fin¬ 
ished his devotion, he arose to continue his flight; but 
no enemy was to be seen.—Soon afterwards peace was 
declared between the opposing factions, and then the 
soldier received an explanation of the sudden disap¬ 
pearance of his pursuers. They told him how bravely 
he had been defended. Considering all the circum- 


422 


Chapter V. 


stances, there was no doubt that the Holy Souls had 
come to defend their benefactor, who prayed for them 
even while his life was in the greatest peril. 

456. A still more marvellous occurrence is related 
of another friend of the Holy Souls. This man had 
some enemies—as even the best of men sometimes 
may have. He was a devout client of the Blessed Vir¬ 
gin Mary, and had a great love for the Suffering Souls. 
It was his practice to say every evening the Litany of 
the Blessed Virgin for the relief of the Poor Souls. 
One night, after saying his accustomed prayer, he re¬ 
tired as usual to his bed-room; and soon after he was 
profoundly asleep. Meanwhile his enemies forced 
their entrance into the house, went to his room, saw 
his clothing on a chair, and looked for their man in 
the bed. But it is empty; he is nowhere to be seen. 
To save his life God had rendered him invisible to the 
mivScreants. Perplexed and angry at having missed 
their opportunity, the intruders left the house. After 
some days they returned. In the evening the man re¬ 
tired to his room and began his usual prayer. But 
he was drowsy, sleep overcame him ; and after saying 
one-half of the Litany he went to bed. Meanwhile his 
enemies were watching him. This time he is surely in 
bed and shall not escape them. They enter the room 
and advance to the bed. Yes, he is there ;—but what 
is this? From head to foot his body is divided into 
halves, and one half is gone! Full of terror at the 
sight, yet thinking that some other enemy had done his 
work before them, they hastened away. God had re¬ 
newed His miracle in favor of His servant; but as he 
had said only half of his prayer. He had rendered only 
one-half of his body invisible. The next morning his 


Gratitude of the Suffering Souls. 423 

enemies met the man in the street alive and sound. 
They regarded him with great consternation, believ¬ 
ing to see a ghost. Explanations were made, and a 
reconciliation was effected. Then they confessed their 
attempts on his life. Neither he nor they doubted in 
the least that he owed his life to the protection of the 
Blessed Virgin and the Holy Souls. 

457. The Oratorian. Father Maganti, also experi¬ 
enced the gratitude of the Suffering Souls. They ob¬ 
tained many extraordinary favors and graces for him; 
for instance knowledge of the future, of secret faults, 
triumphs over the wiles of the devil, etc. He attri¬ 
buted all these supernatural gifts to the intercession 
of the souls in Purgatory. One day while travelling 
from Loretto he arrived in the town of Nocera; and 
immediately he went to a church of the Blessed Virgin 
to say Mass. Afterwards he continued his journey in 
company with some other travelers. The road led 
past a dangerous place where some days before several 
murders had been committed. Meanwhile a party of 
brigands lay in ambush for the pious pilgrims. They 
attacked them when they arrived, overwhelmed them 
and bound them fast to trees. All at once two chil¬ 
dren appeared on the hill overlooking the road and 
began to call so loudly and perseveringly for help, as 
if they intended to arouse the whole country. The 
brigands, who are about twelve in number, take no 
notice of this, except to point their muskets at the 
children. But the children continue to call for help; 
they even advance boldly towards the robbers. Seeing 
this the bandits become afraid and betake themselves to 
flight; for they are convinced that they have witnessed 
a supernatural apparition. The children go from tree 


424 


Chapter I \ 


to tree, loosen the bonds of the pilgrims, and then 
disappear. The companions of Father Maganti 
are quite bewildered; but he sfmply informs them, 
“We owe our deliverance to two Holy Souls from 
Purgatory. God permitted them to appear in the form 
of children, to remind us of the word of our Divine 
Master, “Unless 3"ou be converted and become as little 
children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of 
heaven.” (Matth. xviii. 3 ) 

458. The life of a petty prince of the middle ages 
furnishes us another notable example of the gratitude 
of the Suffering Souls towards their benefactors. This 
nobleman had for a time led a rather dissolute life 
with his courtiers. But the grace of God did not de¬ 
sert him—he was converted quite unexpectedly. He 
settled his affairs, and devoted a considerable portion 
of his income to foundations for the relief of the Suf¬ 
fering Souls. The sycophant courtiers, seeing them¬ 
selves thus deprived of their customary amusements 
and revels, were verj^ indignant, and conspired with a 
neighboring prince to rob their converted master of 
his estates. When he sought the aid of his former 
friends, the}" jeeringly replied, “Go to your Mass- 
priests and prayer-reciters among whom 5"ou have 
distributed your wealth. We have neither the power 
nor the will to help you.” Abandoned by almost 
everyone the good prince retired to one of his castles, 
resolved to defend himself to the best of his ability. 
But his troops were greatly inferior in number to 
those of his adversary", who had meanwhile invaded 
his territory, and was now advancing with his army to 
drive him forth from his citadel. One morning, when 
his distress was at its height, he was informed that a 


Gratitude of the Suffering Souls. 


425 


stranger desired his presence in the court yard. Ar¬ 
rived there, the prince was met by the leader of a 
great army, who thus addressed him, “Fear not! We 
are come to help you, and victory shall be ours. We 
are the souls that were released by means of your 
pious foundations. God sends us to your aid. Con¬ 
tinue in your prayers for the faithful departed in 
order that on the day of battle our number may be 
still greater.” With these words the leader and his 
whole army disappeared. The prince returned to his 
apartments and informed his servants of what had 
occurred, encouraging them like a second Machabee 
with the hope of victory. A few days later the ene¬ 
my’s army appeared, but to the great consternation 
of the troops the small remnant of their adversary’s 
adherents were reinforced by a great host of unknown 
soldiers formed in battle array. The enemy lost cour¬ 
age and sued for peace. After the treaty was signed 
to the satisfaction of both parties, the prince was 
asked whence came the unexpected assistance that 
had so opportunely appeared in his defense. He told 
of his supernatural visitors and their promise. But 
when his opponent wished to see them they had 
vanished. When this miraculous occurrence became 
known, it served greatly to increase the devotion to 
the Holy Souls. 

459. Another example : A merchant had laid in a 
full supply of goods, but they remained unsold for 
several years, so that bankruptcy seemed inevitable. 
In this strait he promised to have a number of Masses 
said for the Souls in Purgatory, and behold, in a short 
time he had sold out his entire stock.—A patron of 
the Holy Souls recited the Office of the -Dead every 


426 


Chapter V. 


day for fifty years, and as a result he was successful in 
all his temporal affairs. He was assisted by the Holy 
Souls in many dangers, was comforted by them in his 
trials, and experienced their effective help in several 
law-suits.—A servant girl who was suffering much 
from rheumatism, and who had for a long time used 
all kinds of remedies without relief, at last had re¬ 
course to the intercession of the Holy Souls. She 
had three Masses said for them and was at once 
restored to health.—A man affected in the same way 
promised to have a picture of the Suffering Souls 
erected near a much frequented place of pilgrimage, 
and immediately his illness disappeared. 

460. Concerning personal services rendered by 
the Holy Souls, and their interest in our bodily com¬ 
fort, St. Gregory the Great relates the following inci¬ 
dent, which occurred during his time in the diocese of 
Civita Vecchia. A worthy priest, who had been ad¬ 
vised by his physician to use steam baths, was served 
every time most attentively by an unknown man. To 
reward him the priest one day offered him two loaves 
of blessed bread, which at that time it was customary 
to distribute among the faithful at Mass. Sorrowfully 
the man refused them, saying, “O Father, why dost 
thou offer me this ? This is holy bread, and I cannot 
partake of it. I was once proprietor of this place, and 
was sentenced after death to come back here. If you 
wish to release me, offer this bread for me to the 
Almighty, and thus you will aid me in atoning for my 
sins. In token that you were heard I will not appear 
to you again after I shall have been released.” With 
these words he disappeared. The priest said Mass for 
him every day for a week; and when he returned on 


Gratitude of the Suffering Souls. 427 

the morning of the eighth day, he found him no 
more. 

461. Keller, in his book “Mirror for Earnest Chris¬ 
tians,” relates the following: At the beginning of the 
sixties a devout young lady intended to found a relig¬ 
ious community. A number of pious maidens had 
declared their intention of joining her, and an appro¬ 
priate house had been selected, but the necessary sum 
for its purchase was wanting. Nevertheless, trusting 
in God and relying on the help of pious benefactors^ 
the place was bought, the new community thereby in¬ 
curring a heavy debt. While looking about for a 
loan, the Superioress was delayed on one of her jour¬ 
neys, so that it was already late in the night when she 
arrived at the railroad station nearest the town she 
was traveling to. As she had to be at the place early 
next morning, she resolved to proceed at once on foot. 
The road led through a dense forest, and she was 
very much afraid. Reassuring herself she began to say 
the rosary for the Suffering Souls, when all at once she 
beheld at her side a young man with a lantern, who 
asked her to permit him to accompany her. After 
regarding his rather pale face for a moment she 
assented. On the way her guide asked her concern¬ 
ing the object that brought her there, and she confided 
to him all her doubts and anxieties. He replied with 
a few encouraging words. Arrived at the end of the 
forest he showed her a house at which she should not 
fail to call; and then he was suddenly gone. Next 
morning she related the occurrence to the priest, ask¬ 
ing him whether he thought it advisable to apply 
at that house for the loan of the sum she needed. He 
replied, “You may try, but you will get nothing.” 


428 


Chapter V. 


Nevertheless she went there, but was received very 
coldly. Then she related how she had been directed 
to this house, and described the appearance of the 
young man. Immediately the behavior of the man 
and his wife changed. The wife began to weep, while 
the husband hastened from the room. But he soon 
returned with the desired sum, saying that he could 
not but show himself grateful to the benefactress 
of his deceased son; for it was he that conducted her 
through the forest and directed her to his house. 

462. It is impossible to condense into one volume 
an account of all the instances in which the Holy 
Souls gratefully rendered assistance to their benefac¬ 
tors in the manifold relations of life—help in war and 
personal danger, in illness, and in distress of all kinds. 
But what was related above is sufficient to convince 
even the most sceptical of the efficiency of their inter¬ 
cession ; and together with the examples adduced from 
Holy Scripture these instances of their gratitude ought 
not to fail in moving us to charity for thetn. Their 
intercessions for their benefactors on earth are gra¬ 
ciously heard by Him who declares that he considers 
as done to Himself what we do to others. In making 
this declaration our Lord confesses Himself our debtor, 
provided we exercise this charity in behalf of the 
Poor Souls. By our suffrages for them we secure for 
ourselves not only their own gratitude, but God 
Himself will be grateful to us for the help we have 
given to these Souls so pleasing to Him. He hears 
their prayers even when they pray to obtain temporal 
blessings for us. 


Gratitude of the Suffering Souls. 


42d 


§ 60. The Holy Souls Assist Their Benefactors in the 

Affairs of Salvation. 

463. If the Holy Souls show themselves grateful 
even with regard to the temporal affairs of their bene¬ 
factors, how much more solicitous will they be for the 
spiritual welfare of those who assisted them! They 
will do their utmost to preserve from the everlasting 
flames of hell those by whose aid they were released 
from the purifying flames of Purgatory.—The Vener¬ 
able Colmar, Bishop of Mayence, writes: “A pious 
lady was greatly disturbed at the thought: ‘What will 
become of me when I die and must appear before the 
tribunal of my Eternal Judge? There is a hell—and 
I have so often offended my God! Woe unto me if I 
should be rejected by the Eord !’ So great did this 
fear become with her, that she was quite disheartened. 
But recollecting herself, she regained confidence; for 
she said, ‘I will pray for the souls in Purgatory; I will 
assist at Mass for them every day ; I will offer for them 
the merit of all my good works. Perhaps I shall be 
so fortunate as to release some of them, and then I 
shall no longer have cause to entertain such great 
fear ; for these souls will pray for me, and I shall not 
be lost.’ She was immediately reassured, and thence¬ 
forth was a devout helper of the Holy Souls.” 

464. A Scotchman, whose brother was stricken 
with sudden death, was greatly affected by the sad 
loss. Though he was a Protestant, he knew that into 
heaven “there shall not enter anything defiled.” 
(Apoc. XXI. 27.) As the religious denomination to 
which he belonged did not recognize a middle state, 

‘he was greatly concerned about his brother’s condi- 


430 


Chapter V, 


tion in the next world, so much so, that he abandoned 
himself entirely to melancholy. God, who rewards 
the least solicitude for the eternal welfare of the 
deceased, led this loving brother to the true faith. By 
the advice of his physician he traveled on the conti¬ 
nent, where he met Abbe Paume. This saintly man 
took great interest in him, and explained to him the 
doctrine of the Church concerning prayer for the 
dead. On All Souls’ day the good man visited the 
priest and said to him, “I am resolved to ask admission 
into the Church from love of my brother. I shall find 
great relief in being able to pray for him, and your 
faith not only permits, but directs me to do so, teach¬ 
ing that thereby I shall greatly benefit him. Your 
faith thus deprives death of its terrors; your love does 
not cease with life, but extends beyond the grave. 
You know the frailties of human nature, frailties that 
are not grievously sinful; but yet they are obstacles 
to perfect purity. God has revealed that there is a 
middle state of purification between heaven and hell. 
Perhaps my brother is sentenced to it, and to release 
him I wish to become a Catholic. This faith, which 
teaches me to pray for the dead, will console me and 
relieve my anxiety.” And he was received into the 
Church. 

465. Sister Margaret Kbner, of the Order of St. 
Dominic, was a great friend of the Suffering Souls, 
and released numbers of them by her prayers and 
austerities. And they were most grateful to their 
benefactress. As she had no greater desire than to 
serve God in the most perfect manner, and to arrive at 
the greatest degree of perfection, she recommended 
herself to the Holy Souls for this particular intention.' 


Gratitude of the Suffering Souls. 


431 


And they assisted her most effectually, so that she 
often remarked, “Oh, that all persons striving after 
perfection would have recourse to the Suffering Souls, 
and would make them their intercessors and helpers! 
They would soon make great progress in virtue and 
would hasten their attainment of perfection.” 

466. Pope Benedict VIII. relates the following : 
The saintly Jesuit, Father Alphonsus Lortesi, was 
troubled like St. Paul with great temptations. Having 
tried various means to rid himself of them, he had re¬ 
course to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of 
Purity, who thereupon appeared to him and requested 
him to pray fervently for the souls in Purgatory. He 
followed this advice and was freed from his tempta¬ 
tions.—A nobleman, a great benefactor of the Suffer¬ 
ing Souls, was one night awakened fro.m sleep and 
told that he should make his confession immediately, 
because he was soon to die. He did so. He received 
holy communion, and died shortly afterwards. Such 
warnings by the Suffering Souls, such admonitions to 
penance and reformation of life, are frequent. Hence 
the well-known remark of Pope Adrian IV.: “Who¬ 
soever prays for the Suffering Souls with the intention 
of helping them, imposes on them the obligation of 
gratitude and assistance.” 

467. ^ Blessed Frances of the Five Wounds was 
notable for her intimate intercourse with the holy angels 
and the Suffering Souls. In reference to the latter the 
history of her life recounts many well authenticated 
occurrences, one of the most remarkable of which is 
the following: Death bereaved her of a friend, a lady 
to whom she was indebted for various benefits. Fora 
long time afterwards Frances offered all her prayers, 


432 


Chapte}’ V. 


sufferings and good works for the soul of her deceased 
friend. One day her friend appeared to her while 
she was engaged in prayer and revealed to her many 
things regarding the future life. For instance Frances 
asked her whether her suffrages had benefited her. 
The soul replied that their application was in the 
hands of the Blessed Virgin, and that by means of 
them she had received great consolation and a reduc¬ 
tion of days and months of suffering. Frances then 
expressed a doubt concerning a certain offering she 
had made of a particular pain, and asked if it had been 
of benefit to her. “O, yes,” the soul gratefully re¬ 
plied. “The very moment you began to feel the pain 
an angel transferred me to a place so agreeable and 
pleasant that I seemed to be in paradise. When I 
asked the angel if it were really so, he replied in the 
negative and said it was only an interruption of my 
sufferings. After your pain ceased I was returned to 
my torments." A short time afterwards this soul was 
released and re-appeared to her benefactor, thanking 
her for her charity. 

468. A priest relates the following : ‘‘Some years 
ago, when I was appointed pastor of my present 
charge, I found that the children of the communion 
class had great difficulty in remembering the answers 
of the catechism. I did my best to assist them, advis¬ 
ing various means from the use of which I hoped for 
an improvement of their memory. They did their 
best, but with little success. I was greatly perplexed, 
for they were good children, and anxious to receive 
their first communion, which I was in conscience 
bound to refuse them as long as they did not know 
their catechism. All at once I remembered that I had 


Gratitude of the Suffering Souls. 


4:53 


read some examples showing how efficacious the 
prayer of the Holy Souls is for those who ask their aid. 
I now told the children to add thenceforth to their 
morning and evening devotions a prayer to and for the 
Suffering Souls, for the intention of obtaining a better 
memory. They followed my advice, and I was aston- 
i.shed at the result. The children, wffio had hitherto 
been unable to repeat any answers of the catechism 
that presented the least difficulty, now answered the 
most intricate questions very fluently; and they even 
comprehended and could repeat the explanations 
which I gave. I hope that by making this known the 
devotion to the Holy Souls will be increased, and that 
the belief in the efficacy of their prayers will be 
strengthened ; and I am confident that my confreres 
will find in prayer for the Suffering Souls the same as¬ 
sistance in the performance of their duties as I did.” 

469. The following incident is related in the ''St. 
De 7 iedicfs Sthnmenf 1881, numbef i and 2 : 

One hundred years ago the reign of terror in France 
was at its height. Louis XVI. and Mary Antoinette 
had already fallen victims to the fury of the populace. 
France w^as deluged in blood. After the defeat of the 
Royalists near Quiberon Count Hyacinth of St. Flor- 
ent, with over nine hundred of his comrades in arms, 
was imprisoned in Aubrey, where he expected his 
sentence of death. One day, while sitting near the 
window of his prison cell, the young Count was sur¬ 
prised at seeing a beautiful young lady looking 
in from the outside. He recognized in the lady his 
twin sister Hermania. 

“Dear Hermania,” he exclaimed, “how can you 
thus expose yourself to danger by coming to see me ? 


434 


Chapter V. 


You well know the penalty imposed by the republic 
on the intercourse with royalists. You promised to 
be careful.” 

“I know, dear brother,” she replied in a low voice ; 
“but to-day is our birth-day, and I could not let it pass 
by without seeing you. To-day we both attain the 
age of nineteen ; and it is the first time in our life 
that we do not celebrate the feast together. And, 
Hyacinth, I felt so depressed ; I could no longer resist 
the desire of seeing you, to reassure m3^self that you 
are alive and well.” 

“As you see, I am quite well,” he replied, pressing 
her small white hand which she reached to him 
through the grating. “Do j^ou remember,” he con¬ 
tinued, “that our dear deceased mother was wont to 
say that we both always had the same thoughts and 
sentiments? I also felt very melancholj’’ all day, very 
likely because you did. But now you must regain 
your cheerfulness, or I also shall remain gloomy.” 

“Do they treat 3^011 well?” the girl anxiously asked. 

“I have everything I wish for except libert3q” re¬ 
plied the brother. “I almost feel ashamed at being so 
well cared for, while 1113^ royalist comrades are suffer¬ 
ing. . . But I hear someone coming. . . Good-bye, 
sister dear ; ma3^ our next birth-day be a happier one!” 

The girl left the window, walked across the grass- 
grown court and escaped through an opening in the 
wall. Hyacinth had scarcel3^ seated himself, when the 
door was opened, and the republican commander en¬ 
tered. Politely saluting the prisoner, he addressed 
him as follows : 

“The officers of my staff, particularly Oberon, seem 
to esteem you greatly.” 



Gratitude of the Suffering Souls. 


435 


“Oberon is always ver}^ kind to me,” Hyacinth re¬ 
plied, without taking his eyes off a picture he had 
painted. 

“He told me that you celebrate your birth-day to¬ 
day. How old are you ?” 

“Nineteen, sir !” 

“At your age a person expects to live for many 
years to come.” 

“Not always, sir!” the prisoner sadly rejoined. “In 
these times even youth may not hope for a long life. 
’Tis said, ‘In times of peace the son buries his father, 
in times of war the father buries his son.’ My 
parents are dead, and strangers will have to bury me.” 

“You are melancholy to-day, St. Florent. You 
must dine with us, and we will cheer you up by cele¬ 
brating your birth-day.” 

Hyacinth accepted the invitation with thanks. 
After dinner, when the desert had been brought and 
the servants had retired, the commander addressed 
himself to his guests : 

“The republic promulgated a law to-day that con¬ 
cerns you, too, St. Florent. Hitherto the prisoners 
made at Quiberon—those of them that are not yet 
twenty-one years old—were not shot. Henceforth 
they, too, are to be executed; and therefore the 
sentence includes you also. That this is the case is 
proved by the fact that the soldiers detailed for this 
purpose are ready to execute the order at once.” 

Scarcely had he finished speaking when a detach¬ 
ment of troops entered the room. Several of the re¬ 
publican officers joined Oberon in pleading for the 
young royalist’s life, but in vain. Hyacinth remained 
cool. Standing erect before the commander, he said, 


t 


430 Chapter V. 

“I do not ask to be dealt with more leniently than my 
comrades. Since loyalty to our king has become a 
crime, I am as guilty as they are. But I request time 
to prepare myself before I go forth from the banquet 
hall to death.” 

His request was refused. Then the young noble¬ 
man turned courageously to his executioners, saying, 
“I am ready.” And he was led forth into the beautiful 
moon-lit night. 

The soldiers stood their prisoner up against the 
wall of the court and then retired a few paces. The com¬ 
mander observed the proceedings from the window of 
the hall. Suddenly a figure ran out from under the 
window of Hyacinth’s cell, crossed the court and em¬ 
braced the doomed man. 

“Hermania, you here!” thus Hyacinth softly ad¬ 
dressed his sister, meanwhile trying to free himself 
from her embrace. 

“Fire !” cried the distracted girl. “If my brother 
must die, let me die with him !” 

One of the officers succeeded in loosening her hold 
on her brother, and led her away. 

“Fire 1 ” now cried the 3^oung royalist. It was the 
last time that his sister heard his voice as that of one 
living, for in the next moment the executioners leveled 
their muskets, and four bullets ended the mortal 
career of Hyacinth de St. Florent. 

Fifteen years had passed since Count Hyacinth’s 
death. Hermania de St. Florent was thirty-four years 
of age ; and though her features were hard and cold, 
the}^ still retained much of their former beauty. Her 
heart had been embittered and hardened by the cruel 
fate of her brother ; it was, alas, inaccessible to the 


Gratitude of the Sujfering Souls. 


437 


consolations of religion. In the first moments after 
her brother’s execution she had cried in despair, 
“This trial exceeds my strength; I can not bear it.” 
—She had to bear it; but she bore it without resigna¬ 
tion. Her once so loving heart was closed to all 
human affection. Her life was blameless; she dis¬ 
dained the amusements and comforts of the world, 
and 3^et she did not seek peace where it w'as alone to 
be found—in resignation to the will of God. “O how 
treacherous is life !” she exclaimed on the fifteenth 
anniversary of her brother’s death. She stood at the 
window of her chateau, and was about to retire from 
it, when she observed the pastor of the village coming 
up the road. She hastened to meet him, for she held 
him in high esteem. After the usual exchange of 
greetings the conversation drifted to the occurrences 
of the day, when the priest had occasion to mention 
the date. 

“Yes,” sorrowfully replied the lady; “to-day is the 
third of August, a date I shall never forget. To-day 
is the anniversary of my brother’s cruel death.” 

The priest deemed this an auspicious moment to 
call her attention to the consolations of religion, and 
observed, “Blessed are they that mourn, for the}^ shall 
be comforted.” 

“This is not the first time,” she replied quietly but 
firmly, “that your reverence intimates that I should 
comply with the demands of religion. Your remarks 
indicate that you do not comprehend my character. 
The doctrines of the Gospel are known as well to me 
as they are to 3^ou, and I fully acknowledge their 
truth. You desire me to pray; but if I did so, I 
should also have to repeat the words of our Blessed 


438 


Chapter V. 


Lord, “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them 
that trespass against us.” But this I cannot do ; for I 
have not forgiven the murderers of my brother, and I 
shall and will not forgive them. True, I can no longer 
do them harm, for the most of them were since called 
before the tribunal of God; but I still have the will 
and desire of revenge. The very thought of it fills 
me with delight; for then I feel that I still possess a 
heart. You tell me to seek consolation at the foot of 
the altar. If I did so, should I not be obliged to for¬ 
give my enemies? How can I, so full of hatred and 
desire of revenge, kneel at the altar ?—Now reverend 
sir, you know my exact position : can you continue to 
urge me to fulfil my religious duties when you know 
that doing so would on my part be mere mockery ?” 

“For the sake of your soul’s salvation, my dear 
daughter, suppress such sentiments!” rejoined the 
priest in agitation. “Remember our Savior on the 
cross. He prayed for His executioners.” 

“He was God, and I am only a frail mortal.” 

“But Christ is our example, and all the saints 
strove to imitate Him.” 

“I am no saint!” 

“True enough, alas ! You are a poor, much-suffer¬ 
ing woman. But you yourself have referred to a 
thought that should fill you with confidence and cour¬ 
age. Yes, He is our God; and because He is our God, 
He also has the power and the will to grant the grace 
and help necessary to observe His commandments. 
He demands that we forgive our enemies as He 
Himself did; and He will not refuse us His grace to 
do so if we place no obstacle.” 

“That is possible. I never thought of it.” 


Gratitude of the Suffering Souls. 


439 


Rising to take leave, the priest remarked, “I fear 
your case is a most difficult one. But I do not de¬ 
spair. I shall recommend you to the souls in Purga¬ 
tory, by whose intercession I have often found help 
in cases that humanly speaking were hopeless. 
And if perchance your brother should be still among 
those souls, I will pray that he may be permitted to 
soften the heart of her who is so dear to him.” 

“My brother ! You forget that he is dead fifteen 
years. It can not be possible that he is still in Purga¬ 
tory !” 

“This is a question to which we cannot give a 
definite answer. But this we know for certain : God’s 
mercy is great, especially to those who suffer from 
man’s unmercifulness. Count Hyacinth was made to 
suffer death suddenly and unexpectedly, and we have 
no evidence that he had sufficient time during the few 
moments accorded to him between his sentence and its 
execution to prepare himself duly to appear before the 
tribunal of God. By no means do I question his 
Catholic faith ; but might he not have to atone for the 
youthful indiscretions so prevalent with young people 
of his class?” 

Hermania was now alone ; and as was her custom 
since her brother’s death, she w’atched through the 
night following her birth-day. She could not bring 
herself to seek repose during that night. The old 
servant, who was aware of this custom, had brought 
lights, and had securely fastened the doors and win¬ 
dows of her apartments. Now she was left to her 
musings. She sat in her easy chair, reviewing in her 
mind the sorrowful past. She thought of that night 
when she watched under her brother’s window expect- 


440 


Chapter F. 


ing his release, and saw him led to a cruel death; she 
saw the gleam of the muskets in the moon-light, and 
her brother, pale but firm, standing at the wall. But 
what is this ?—She rubbed her eyes.--Yes, she is wide 
awake. She hears the slow ticking of the great clock 
in the hall. But there, before her—O God can it be 
true?—there stands her brother-!—Yes, it is he, not 
changed like her; he is still in the bloom and beauty 
of his nineteenth year. But oh, how sorrowful, how 
dejected ! And yet his look betokens resignation ! 
There was something in his appearance that restrained 
his sister from advancing to meet him; she felt that 
there was an impassable gulf between them. He was 
spiritualized; she still belonged to this material world. 
Placing her hands on her throbbing heart, she trem¬ 
blingly addressed him: 

“Hyacinth, my brother, what has brought thee back 
to the troubles of this world ?” 

“Sister,” replied the spirit in a solemn tone of voice, 
“I am come to complain of the cruelty’with which I 
have been treated.” 

“I know,” she hastened to rejoin; “thy death is 
written as with characters of fire in my heart. Thy 
blood calls to me to be avenged. What can I do for 
thee ?” 

“I do not refer to my death. Viewed from etern¬ 
ity, life seems like a grain of sand on the sea-shore. 
Death is but a passing pain, the threshold of the 
King’s palace. What saddens me is that thou hast 
forgotten,—my dear sister, whom I so ardently loved.” 

“I forget thee? Did I leave a day pass without 
remembering thee ? Were not my nights disturbed by 
painful dreams of thee ? In the flower of my youth I 


Gratiticde of the Suffering Souls. 


441 


rejected for thy sake every enjoyment and amusement 
of life, for my heart could not rejoice without thee.” 

“Thy tears and despair avail me nothing. I crave 
thy prayer, to help me to atone for my faults. I am 
suffering in Purgatory for the unatoned sins of my 
latter years. Above all, I suffer because in the haste 
of my execution I forgot to pardon my murderers. I 
did not remember the example of our Divine Savior 
and of St. Stephen. I forgot that we are commanded 
to love our enemies. By this neglect I burdened my 
soul with a double guilt, because from it proceeded in 
part thy revengeful disposition. A long time was 
given thee to fulfil thy Christian duty of forgiving my 
murderers. Because thou wouldst not, thou couldst 
not pray for me. For fifteen years I waited in vain; 
not a single prayer was said for me on earth. My 
body was interred without the blessings of the Church ; 
no priest celebrated a Holy Mass for my soul. I .saw 
innumerable souls ascend to heavenly bliss, released 
by the praj^ers and holy communions offered for them 
on earth. I had to remain behind. In my last mo¬ 
ments, already at the threshold of eternity, I consoled 
myself with the thought, ‘My sister’s prayers will fol¬ 
low me beyond the grave.’ This very night the first 
De profundis was said for me. It obtained permission 
for me to come here and implore thy help. Oh, take 
pity on thy brother, assist him to have his punish¬ 
ment abridged. Love thy enemies ! Mortals on earth 
can not comprehend the torments that harass a soul 
that has seen God for a short moment and is then 
again banished from His presence.” 

Hermania fell on her knees. 

“O Hyacinth, pardon me! I was cruel towards 
thee, thinking to honor thy memory.” 


442 


Chapter V. 


She covered her face with her hands and wept con¬ 
vulsively. Finally looking up again, the apparition 
had vanished; and the first dawn of morning ap¬ 
peared in the east. She remained on her knees, pray¬ 
ing as she had not prayed for years. When the sound 
of the church bell, calling the people to five o’clock 
Mass, aroused her, she rose and hastened to church. 
The peasants were astonished at seeing their mistress 
kneeling in their midst, the first time in many years. 

Her first prayer was for the murderers of her 
brother. She called to our Savior in His own words, 
“Forgive them, for they know not what they do!” 
The racking hatred that so long had tormented her 
and closed her heart to the soothing influence of grace 
vanished; and then, with scalding tears of contrition, 
she prayed for her brother. 

After Mass she visited the good priest, and related 
to him her experience of the night, promising him to 
atone for her long neglect of duty by a trulj^ Christian 
life. 

“Thanks be to God ” ejaculated the pious pastor. 
“Whether your apparition of last night was a reality 
or a dream, it is certain that our Heavenly Father in¬ 
tended thereby to remind you of your duty.” 

“Most certainly it was no dream,” she gravely re¬ 
plied. “Did you say a Deprofundis for my brother?” 

“Yes, I did.” 

“Then it was Hyacinth himself whom I saw. He 
told me it had been the first prayer that was said 
for him.” 

A few days later Mile. St. Florent knelt at the 
altar to receive her Divine Ford in holy communion, 
fully reconciled to Him by a contrite confession. 


Gratitude of the Suffering Souls. 


443 


Thenceforth she devoted herself to works of charity; 
and though not very wealthy, the poor always found 
her their true friend, who gave them her service if she 
had no money to give. Soon she was known as “the 
good Lady of St. Florent.” To those who thanked her 
for her aid she was wont to reply, “All I ask in return 
is a prayer for my brother, not for myself.” Thus she 
lived for twenty-five years. Finally the third of 
August found her on her death-bed. She had already 
received the last sacraments, and calmly awaited the 
final sumnions. Suddenly her features were over¬ 
spread with joy. “I see Hyacinth !” she exclaimed. 
“He is coming in heavenly splendor to receive me and 
conduct me to God. He is supremely happy, and I 
shall soon be united with him.”—She fell back: 
brother and sister were united in their God. 

470. Not very long ago a pious Christian in Paris 
did his utmost to induce one of his friends, an old man 
who was near death, to return to God and religion by 
a sincere conversion. But all his efforts were in vain. 
Finally he had recourse to the intercession of the Holy 
Souls. He promised to have a certain number of Mas¬ 
ses said for the release of the most forsaken soul, on 
condition that this soul would implore for his friend 
the grace of a true contrition. And behold, on that 
very day the aged sinner asked for a priest, made his 
peace with God and died so‘on after with all the signs 
of sincere penitence.—In the neighborhood of the im¬ 
perial castle of Ambras, near Innsbruck in the Tyrol, 
there is an open space in the midst of a vast forest, 
where the mortal remains of a great number of Tyrolese 
defenders of their country are buried, along with the 
bodies of the enemies against whom they fought. 


444 


Chapter V. 


This place in the course of time became the destina¬ 
tion of numerous pious pilgrims, who go there to pray 
for the Suffering Souls. So great is the number of 
extraordinary favors obtained there, that the trees for 
a great distance are covered with votive tablets testi¬ 
fying to the efficacy of the prayers of the Holy Souls. 
A new chapel recently built there also proves that 
the confidence of the peasants of the neighboring vil¬ 
lages is as strong as ever. 

471. To a saintly religious, Father Dominic of 
Jesus-Mary, there appeared the soul of a deceased 
artist, who asked him to warn a certain gentleman 
against retaining an immoral picture which the de¬ 
ceased had painted to his order, and to inform him 
that two of his sons would die in a short time. More¬ 
over he should warn the gentleman that he himself 
would die soon if he did not do as requested. The 
good religious performed his errand, and the gentle¬ 
man in great consternation gave him the picture to 
destroy it. Within a month his two sons really died. 
The gentleman repented; and he removed all his pro¬ 
fane pictures, replacing them with religious ones. 

To the Venerable Frances of the Blessed Sacra¬ 
ment there appeared repeatedly one of her relatives, 
deceased many years before, whose son was party to 
an unjust law suit. Despite all warnings he persisted 
for years in the unjust proceedings. Again his father 
appeared, declaring that his release depended on the 
termination of the law suit. Now at last the contend¬ 
ing parties came to an agreement. They were not 
only reconciled, but fulfilled the other requests made 
by the departed soul to hasten its release. The son 
moreover was so affected by the occurrence that he 
thenceforth led a most exemplary life. 


Gratitude of the Suffering Souts. 


445 


The gratitude of souls released and of souls still in 
torment, and the great relief given the latter by prayer, 
incited the Venerable Frances to the greatest fervor in 
suffrages for them; and not content to befriend the 
Holy Souls continually herself, she did her utmost to 
gain for the same devotion her Sisters in religion, 
priests, and all with whom she had occasion to con¬ 
verse in her position as portress of the convent. Thus 
she relieved and ransomed a countless number of Suf¬ 
fering Souls, whose gratitude she very frequently 
experienced. 

§ 61. The Suffering Souls Assist Their Benefactors in 
Death and at the Tribunal of Judgment. 

472. The renowned historian Cardinal Baronius 
relates: A man of great virtue was approaching his 
end and was violently assaulted by the evil spirits sur¬ 
rounding his death-bed. Suddenly he saw the heavens 
open and thousands of warriors in white garments 
coming to his aid. They told him that they were sent 
to defend him and to gain the victory for him. The 
dying man was greatly relieved and implored his 
heavenly defenders to tell him who they were. They 
replied, “We are the souls whom you released. We 
come to reward your charity, and to conduct your soul 
to heaven.” After receiving this assurance he died. 

St. Margaret of Cortona died on the 2 2d of 
February, 1297. At the very hour of her death a 
saintly religious in a distant city saw her soul ascend 
to heaven in the company of a great number of souls 
whom our Lord had released in consideration of the 
merits of His holy spouse. 


446 


Chapter V. 


473. The following remarkable occurrence was 
related a few years ago in the Italian newspaper 
V Unita Cattolica: Two gentlemen, Parrini and De 
Witt, fought a duel in which the former was mortally 
wounded. Parrini was a freemason, as is evidenced 
from his will made two years before the duel, as 
follows; 

Florence, March 13, 1882. 

To the Gra?id Master and the Masonic Brethren of the 
R L:. La Concordia. 

Sound of mind and body, I hereby declare, on this 
the 13th day of March, 1882, my last will, and ordain 
by it as folows : 

i) That no priest, of whatever rite or cult, shall 
enter my room in case I should be in danger of death 
by illness. 2) That after my death no religious fra¬ 
ternity, no priest, etc , but solely my brethren, friends 
and acquaintances shall attend my funeral. 3) That 
500 francs be taken from my estate to be distributed 
at the pleasure of the Grand Master of the lodge Con¬ 
cordia amongst the poor widows and orphans of breth¬ 
ren of the said lodge. 4) That the execution of this 
my last will be entrusted to the Orient of said lodge, 
in whose secret archives a cop}^ of it shall be preserved. 

Cesar Parrini. 

On the morning of Jul}^ i8th, 1884, the day of the 
duel, Parrini wrote another will which related solely 
to the settlement of his estate. In it he revoked noth¬ 
ing of the arrangements made in the former will 
relative to his death.—After sixteen or more rounds 
had been fought, he fell mortally wounded. He was 
brought in a dying condition to the Villa Torrigiani. 


Gratitude of the Suffering Souls, 447 

When informed of his approaching end, he said to one 
of his lady friends, “Call a priest as quickly as pos¬ 
sible ; I desire to have a priest! I promised it to you, 
and you know that I keep my word. Call a priest!” 
When the vicar of the parish, Don Louis Millinesi, en¬ 
tered the room, the dying man received him as a mes¬ 
senger from heaven. After the vicar had been alone 
with him for a few moments, he went to the door and 
called for two witnesses. In presence of these the 
vicar read a revocation covering everything necessary 
to obtain absolution from the censures incurred by 
joining the freemasons, engaging in a duel, and calum¬ 
niating the Church in newspaper articles and pamph¬ 
lets. After the reading of this document Parrini de¬ 
clared over the crucifix on his breast that he made 
solemn revocation; and then he added, “I pardon 
everybody the same as I implore pardon of God.” 
The act of revocation is preserved in the archiepiscopal 
archives. After these preliminaries he made his con¬ 
fession, and everything was prepared for the ministra¬ 
tion of the holy Viaticum, Meanwhile the dying man, 
still pressing the crucifix to his lips, continued to pray 
and to commend himself to the mercy of God. He 
received the last sacraments with all signs of piety and 
faith, so that all present, a non-Catholic included, were 
moved to tears. While the vicar administered Ex¬ 
treme Unction, Parrini continued in adoration of the 
Lord whom he had just received, and audibly repeated 
the acts of faith, hope,.charity and contrition, and im¬ 
plored the aid of the Blessed Virgin. Soon after re¬ 
ceiving Extreme Unction he expired with the name of 
Jesus on his lips and the crucifix on his breast. 


448 


Chapter V. 


Whence this miraculous change of heart in this 
man Parrini? The answer to this question is found 
in the fact that in his heart he had never abandoned 
the faith of his youth instilled into his mind by a 
pious mother. His apparent unbelief had proved no 
obstacle to his charit)^ The poor, as also the Suffer¬ 
ing Souls, ever found in him their constant friend. 
He gave bountifully in aid of both. During all the 
years of his association with the masonic fraternity he 
had never neglected to say every day the De profundis 
for the faithful departed. Whenever one of his friends 
died, he was sure to say the De profundis for him. 
That this charity, although wanting in supernatural 
merit, was nevertheless pleasing to God, is proved by 
his happy death, which blessing was obtained for him 
by the intercession of the Holy Souls. 

474. Brother Henry, a native of lyouvain in Bel¬ 
gium, had finished his studies in Paris. After receiv¬ 
ing holy orders he was sent to Germany as professor 
of theology and to be a preacher of the word of God. 
Wherever he went he proved himself to be a steadfast 
friend of the Suffering Souls; and he often experienced 
their gratitude. Once while in Cologne, after assist¬ 
ing at the funeral of a Franciscan, he continued in 
prayer for the soul of the religious and other departed 
souls, when the lately deceased Brother appeared to 
him, sa3dng, “Thanks to thee, Father Henry, thanks 
to thee ! It is due to thy fervent pra^^er that I was only 
half a day in Purgatory; and now I ascend to heaven 
in the company of twenty-four other souls, whom 
thy prayer has released from Purgatory together with 
myself.” When this same Father Henry was sent to 
Wimpfen as professor of theology, his brethren related 



Gratitude of the Suffering Souls. 


449 


to him the recent death of a nobleman, who had or-. 
- dained in his last will that he should be interred in the 
Dominican church at Wimpfen. They also informed 
him that the deceased had been a great benefactor of 
the Order. Good Father Henrj^ was so moved at this 
recital that he thenceforth remembered the pious noble¬ 
man’s soul every day in prayer. On the anniversary 
of his death the deceased appeared to one of his rela¬ 
tives who was just praying for him, and said, “Fear 
not; I am your cousin. Know that by the prayer of 
Father Henry, professor at Wimpfen, I am released 
from Purgatory. Go and thank him in my name for 
his great charity.” At last the good Father’s time to 
die arrived. He was suffering from a very painful 
illness, but not unexpectedly ; for it had been revealed 
to him long before that he would have to endure this 
trial. He peacefully expected the visit of ’his dear 
Mother Mar}’ and of the Holy Souls ; for he knew that 
they would not forsake him in death after appearing 
to him so often in life; and he was confident too that 
they would not permit him to remain long in Purga¬ 
tory. And the fulfilment of his hope was revealed to 
a pious old lady at the moment of his death. She saw 
the soul of Father Henry ascend to heaven in the 
company of three hundred and thirty six other souls. 

475. A pious Christian of Britany in France, who 
amongst other virtues that he practiced excelled also 
in charity for the Suffering Souls, was fast approach¬ 
ing the hour of his death. The pastor was notified to 
give him the last sacraments, but on account of great 
fatigue he sent his curate. The curate administered 
the last rites of religion to the dying man, and then 
set out to return home. On passing the cemetery 

30 * 


450 


Chapter V. 


which adjoined the priest’s house, the curate to his 
great astonishment heard a voice loudly calling out, 
“Arise, ye dead! Arise from 3^our graves and hasten 
to the church to pray for the soul of our great bene¬ 
factor who has just expired. We owe this to him in 
gratitude for the prayers he so often said for us.” 
And like the prophet Kzechiel the curate had a vision. 
The church-door, which he had carefully closed before 
answering the sick-call, was wide open. In the sanc¬ 
tuary the lights were burning; and again he hears 
the voice, this time from the altar, calling the dead to 
prayer. At the same time he hears a great noise, the 
moving and rattling of bones in the graves. The dead 
come forth and go in procession to the church. In 
the sanctuary they sit down in the choir-stalls and 
recite in mournful accents the Office of the Dead. 
After it is finished, the}^ silently return to their graves. 
The candles on the altar extinguish of themselves, and 
silence reigns as before in the deserted church. Pale 
with terror the curate hastens to inform the pastor 
of what he had seen. The latter would not believe 
him, but ascribed the vision to his assistant’s vivid 
imagination. “First of all,” he said, “you must find 
out whether your patient died, which is scarcel^^ prob¬ 
able.” He had not 3^et ceased speaking, when a mes¬ 
senger appeared giving due notice of the good parish¬ 
ioner’s death. The curate was so impressed with this 
vision that he became a religious in the monastery of 
St. Martin of Tours. Later, when elected prior, he 
stated the occurrence in detail to his brethren. 

476. Ackermann, in his book on the Poor Souls, 
relates that the Jesuit lay-brother Simon, and Father 
John Fabricius, also a Jesuit, having been great bene- 


Graliiude of the Suffering Soiils. 


451 


factors of the Holy Souls in life, were assisted by 
them in death. A great number of souls whom they 
had released surrounded their death-beds to console 
them in their last moments and to conduct their souls 

Jk 

to heaven. 

But the Holy Souls are not content with assisting 
their friends in death; they also show their gratitude 
by releasing them from Purgator3^—A saintly relig¬ 
ious in Naples, Paula of St. Theresa, in a vision saw 
our Tord descending into Purgatory and singling out 
souls here and there to release them from their punish¬ 
ment. When she asked Him why He selected these 
souls from among so many, our Lord replied, “Because 
these souls during their mortal lives were noted for 
their charity to the Suffering Souls. I reward like 
with like; and therefore I release them earlier from 
their torments according to My promise, ‘The merciful 
shall obtain mercy.’” Thus we see the prayer of the 
wise Noemi fulfilled in behalf of those who are true 
friends of the Holy Souls: “The Lord deal merci¬ 
fully with you, as you have dealt with the dead.” 
(Ruth I, 8.) 

477. From the foregoing we may conclude how 
profitable to us is our charity for the dead, and that 
we thereby suffer no loss, but are rewarded a hundred¬ 
fold by the grateful souls themselves. If nevertheless 
there be Christians with hearts so indifferent and un¬ 
feeling as to be unmoved by all the motives hitherto 
adduced; and if these same Christians be so fortunate 
as to escape hell and to be imprisoned in Purgatory in 
order that they may cancel their debts—be assured, 
they will have to pay their indebtedness “to the last 
farthing;” for thus the Word of God clearly states, 


452 


Chapter V. 


“Judgment without mercy to him that hath not done 
mercy.” (James ii. 13.) 

The Venerable Archangela Panigarola, prioress of 
St. Martha’s convent in Milan, on All Souls’ day had 
an apparition of her guardian angel who led her in 
spirit through Purgatory. Among other souls she 
saw that of her father. As soon as he recognized her 
he exclaimed, “O Archangela, my daughter! How can 
you forget your unfortunate father, suffering so ter¬ 
ribly here ! I saw so many souls released by your 
prayers; but me, your father, to whom you owe so 
much, you have forgotten.” Archangela was greatl}^ 
agitated at hearing this plaintive reproach; but her 
guardian angel ^id to her, “God has permitted it 
thus, because thy father during his life neglected the 
care of his salvation and had no charity for the Suf¬ 
fering Souls.” 

478. Christian soul, be more charitable; it will be 
to your spiritual and temporal profit.—Tet us resolve 
to do everything in our power for the Suffering Souls. 
If at times we know of no soul for whom we are bound 
to pray in particular, let us follow the example of 
many pious Christians, and set apart every day of the 
week for a certain class of souls for whom we offer up 
our suffrages. For instance, to-day for the souls that 
were most devout to the Blessed Virgin; to-morrow 
for those who had a great veneration for their guardian 
angels; the next day for the clients of St. Joseph; 
again, for the most fervent adorers of the Blessed Sac¬ 
rament, etc. Charity is inventive, as the saying is. 
If true charity inspires us, w^e will find many ways of 
helping and ransoming the Suffering Souls. If we 
cherish a great love for the Suffering Souls, Noemi’s 


The Heroic Act of Charity for the Suffering Souls. 453 


prayer will be fulfilled in us: “The Tord deal merci¬ 
fully with you, as you have dealt mercifully with the 
dead.” ,We shall experience this mercy in life and at 
our death; we shall praise it in Purgatory and glorify 
it forever in heaven. 


CHAPTER VI. 

The Heroic Act of Charity for the Suffering Souls. 


§ 62. What is the Heroic Act of Charity for the 

Suffering Souls ? 

479. The Heroic Act of Charity is a voluntary 
cession in favor of the Suffering Souls of all the good 
works that we personally perform during life, and that 
will be performed by the faithful in suffrage for us after 
our own departure from this world. This cession is 
made to the Blessed Virgin Mary, to be offered by her 
to God for those souls in Purgatory whom He wishes 
to benefit thereby, or to whom we ourselves are in¬ 
debted in a particular manner. By this act we volun¬ 
tarily and magnanimously resign everything that 
might in any way be acceptable to God as atonement 
for the punishment incurred by our own sins; and all 
this we place in the hands of the Blessed Virgin for 
the relief of those Suffering Souls whom she desires to 
favor.—God is a just Judge. If we have sinned, 
though we may have repented of and confessed our 
sins. He will sentence us to undergo some temporal pun- 




454 


Chapter VI. 


ishment. This temporal punishment is a debt which 
we have incurred, and which we must cancel by peni¬ 
tential works. These works of penance are as it were 
the ransom by which we purchase immunity from 
punishment in the next w'orld. If our confessor im¬ 
poses on us works of penance sufficient to pay off this 
our debt, and we perform ‘ these works well, we are 
thereby released from all further punishment. But if 
our confessor does not impose sufficient penance on 
us, we must voluntarily perform works of satisfaction 
sufficient to cancel our debt. If we do not do this, God 
sends us trials and sufferings; if we suffer these pa¬ 
tiently and in a spirit of penance. He accepts them in 
payment for our debt. But if God does not send us 
sufficient sufferings, or if we do not bear them in a 
spirit of penance, we shall have to go to Purgatory 
after death; and there we shall be obliged to pay off 
the balance of our debt, not by voluntary acts of pen¬ 
ance, but by sufferings imposed by God’s judicial sen¬ 
tence. And of this place of punishment our Savior 
Himself says, “Amen I say to thee, thou shalt not go 
out from thence, till thou pay the last farthing.” 
(Matth. V. 26.) 

We can therefore atone for the temporal punish¬ 
ment of our sins by four kinds of penitential works: 
i) By such as are imposed by our confessor; 2) by 
such as we perform of our own free volition; 3) by 
such as are prescribed for the gaining of indulgences ; 
4) by such as God Himself imposes on us by sending 
us trials, sickness, poverty, etc., provided we suffer 
these afflictions patiently and in a spirit of penance.— 
Now, if we are inspired with a great love for the Suf¬ 
fering Souls, we will offer all these acts of penance in 


1 he Heroic Act of Charity for the Suffering Souls. 455 

favor ol these beloved spouses of Christ, instead of 
performing them in view to our own atonement, thus 
apparently forgetting ourselves entirely. This is in¬ 
deed a heroic, a magnanimous charity. 

480. But, Christian soul, perhaps 3'ou think : If 
I make this heroic act, and give up all m^^ good works 
in favor of the Suffering Souls—what will become of 
me at the end of my life ?—Do not be disturbed, but 
ponder well the following. 

By this act we yield to the Suffering Souls only 
that fruit or spiritual profit of our good works, which 
comes to us personally by way of atonement; that is, 
by making this act we surrender to the souls in Pur¬ 
gatory only the atoning value of our good works. As 
to the fruits of merit and intercession, they remainour 
own ; for the personal merit of a good act can never 
be ceded to others, and the fruit of intercession for 
ourselves and others is distinct from and independent 
of the atoning value of our good works. The revsults 
of merit and intercession are the following: i) recon¬ 
ciliation with God ; 2) increase of sanctifying grace; 
3) augmentation of our glory in heaven; 4) increase 
of actual grace, necessary and useful in this life for 
the performance of good works. Besides, our prayers 
and good works obtain for us consolation in adversity, 
the grace to resist temptations, preservation from tem¬ 
poral evils, etc. All this is reserved to us : the re¬ 
mission of temporal punishment alone is what we 
sacrifice by the heroic act of charity. 

481. To arrive at a better comprehension of the 
rich profit gained by every good work—and this profit 
is really a five-fold one—let us consider in detail the 
fruits issuing from the performance of good works. 


456 


Chapter VI. 


Above all we must conciliate God’s justice in case 
we have committed sin; and only after this has 
been accomplished will His mercy grant us the 
special help of His grace to attain true contrition 
and sincere conversion. By sin we offend the majesty 
of God and provoke His anger to inflict punishment. 
Among the punishments of sin decreed by our just 
and holy God one of the most severe is that he denies 
to the sinner, in just retribution, special and more 
abundant graces. But inasmuch as every good work 
is a work of atonement, the performance of such 
works will serve to appease the wrath of God, to dis¬ 
arm His justice, and to regain His favor. The atoning 
efficacy of the work reconciles Him, and disposes Him 
through the merits of Jesus Christ to remit whollj^ 
or in part the punishment incurred. The merits of 
our Savior draw down upon man the favor of God ; 
and so the sinner is moved by faith, hope, charity and 
contrition to return to God and to receive worthily 
the holy sacraments, by which he is sanctified and be¬ 
comes again a child of God. This fruit of a good 
work can not be ceded to others. Reconciliation with 
God is an effect inseparable from the individual that 
obtains it. 

482. A pious Russian general was the intimate 
friend of a priest. One day the priest chanced to pass 
through the village in which the general resided, 
when he felt himself strangely impelled to visit his 
friend. But as he was pressed for time, he resisted 
the impulse and intended to pass on. But the thought 
returned so persistently that he finally yielded. 
Scarcely had the general recognized his visitor, when 
he exclaimed, “Thanks be to God that you came ! My 


The Heroic Act of Charity for the Suffering Souls. 457 

wife, who as you know is a Protestant, is dying. I 
hope she will not refuse your assistance.” The priest 
went to see her, and had the happiness to receive her 
into the Church.—What had obtained this grace for 
her?—She had made the resolution, as was seen later 
in her diary, not to let a day pass without performing 
some act of charity.—A zealous priest was so con¬ 
vinced of the efficacy of charitable works in obtaining 
conversions, that when he one day had disposed an in¬ 
fidel lawyer on his death-bed to make a sincere con¬ 
fession, he confidently asked him, what work of 
charity have you obtained this grace?” The dying 
man at first remembered none; but when the priest 
insisted, he replied, ‘T now remember that for char¬ 
ity’s sake I once assisted a poor widow to gain a law 
suit, which had threatened to deprive her unjustly of 
her little property.” 

483. Every good work aids in effecting man’s re¬ 
conciliation with God. It moves God to grant the 
sinner more grace, so that he may be disposed to turn 
away from sin and to return to the friendship of his 
Heavenly Father. This grace finally impels the sin¬ 
ner to seek complete reconciliation by contrition, con¬ 
fession and sacramental absolution. The greater our 
contrition, the more perfect will be our reconcilia¬ 
tion with God. God dwells with His grace in such a 
reconciled soul. This grace is an emanation of the 
divine nature, of the sanctity of God, and truly sancti¬ 
fies the soul. By this grace the sinful state inherited 
from Adam becomes extinct in us ; a new life begins, a 
supernatural life in God, which makes the soul—God’s 
own image—more and more beautiful, and renders man 
according to the w^ords of St. Peter, “a partaker of the 


458 


Chapter VI. 


divine nature.” (11. Pet. i. 4.)—This fruit of reconci¬ 
liation with God is distinct from the fruit of atonement. 
First there must be reconciliation ; and only after this 
has been effected, can atonement for the temporal 
punishment of sin follow. 

484. Every good work not only disposes the soul 
for the reception of sanctifying grace, but also in¬ 
creases this grace within the soul. By this grace we 
are made holy and pleasing to God; our souls are 
adorned with supernatural virtues ; we are rendered 
capable of gaining merit; we are and remain children 
of God and heirs of heaven. ^ Every soul in the state 
of grace is a child of the Eternal Father, a spouse of 
Jesus Christ, a temple of the Holy Ghost, a consort of 
the angels and saints. Hence by the increase of 
sanctifying grace w’e also grow in holiness and are 
rendered more pleasing to God ; we grow in virtue 
and in merit; we insure our election to heaven and 
merit a higher place in the heavenly kingdom. 
Sanctifying grace may be likened to capital which 
increases by interest and compound interest. Every 
good action performed in the state of grace—every 
combat against sin, every victory over temptation, 
every act of contrition for sins mortal or venial, or for 
sins perhaps long ago remitted, every worthy recep¬ 
tion of the sacraments, every prayer, etc.—all these 
works performed in the state of sanctifiying grace 
augment this grace within us, thus rendering our souls 
more and more pleasing to God. 

485. In gaining an increase of sanctifying grace 
by means of our good works we even augment the 
value and meritoriousness of the works themselves. 
Suppose an artist has received two hundred dollars 



The Heroic Act of Charity for the Suffering Souls, 459 

• 

for a painting. By the work performed on the paint¬ 
ing he has increased his artistic abilities, and the next 
painting he produces is so much better than the first 
that he receives three hundred dollars for it. Now if 
his skill and its reward increase with every new paint¬ 
ing, how proficient and wealthy he must finally be¬ 
come ! A hasty sketch by Raphael is prized more 
highly, though done in an hour, than a painting on 
which some obscure artist was engaged for years. It 
is the genius, the artistic skill of the painter which 
renders a painting valuable.—The same is true in 
spiritual life. Sanctifying grace is the genius by which 
our works are rendered valuable. By the supernatural 
virtues infused into us together with grace we per¬ 
form good actions, which may be called our works of 
art for heaven. By every such work sanctifying grace 
is increased in the soul; and the virtues germinating 
in and growing from this grace naturally increase with 
it. Consequently the work following becomes more 
valuable than the one preceding it, and therefore merits 
a greater reward.—If this be so, what a wealth of 
grace, what a beauty must a soul possess that has 
persevered in grace for twenty, thirty years, a soul that 
has performed meritorious actions every day, every 
hour, yes, almost every minute of the day! What a 
splendid crown must await such a soul in heaven! 
The meritoriousness of every good work like the fruit 
of reconciliation with God is entirely personal and 
cannot be ceded to others. 

486. Increase of grace and increase of merit are 
correlatives, whose reward responds to the degree they 
have both attained. The eternal bliss of heaven is the 
reward of our good works performed in the state of 


460 


Chapter VI. 


grace. These works are not solely our works; but 
they are in a certain sense the works of Christ dwell¬ 
ing and operating in us by sanctifying grace. Whence 
have the branches the power to bring forth fruit ex¬ 
cept from the vine ? And the tree, is it not perfected 
by the process of grafting? Thus sanctifying grace 
unites us with Christ, and it is by His power and 
merit that our good works are performed in a manner 
to make them valuable. By sanctifying grace Christ 
lets us share in His merits. Our works, indifferent in 
themselves, become supremely valuable when He 
adds to them the infinite value of His merits, of His 
most Precious Blood. 

487. All men dyiftg in sanctifying grace will be 
admitted to the beatific vision of God and to the joys 
of heaven; but the reward will not be alike nor 
equally great for all. Even in this world the laborer’s 
hire is in proportion to the amount and quality of his 
work. God called all men to serve Him and thereby 
to gain heaven. But the Apostle says, “Every man 
shall receive his own reward according to his own 
labor.” (I Cor. iii. 8.) The longer one has perse¬ 
vered in the service of God, the more good works he 
has performed, and the more perfect the}^ were, the 
greater will be his reward, the more precious will be 
his crown in heaven. He is rewarded according to 
his merit. For this reason the Blessed Virgin Mary, 
being “full of grace,” surpasses all others in glory. 
Thus also the apostles, martyrs, confessors, virgins 
and the host of other saints, receive glory and reward 
in heaven in proportion to the measure of grace they 
attained and co-operated with, and the degree to which 
they increased it while living on earth. And the 


The Heroic Act of Charity for the Suffering Souls. 461 

poorest Christian, forsaken, misjudged, reviled and 
persecuted here; the overworked servant, the op¬ 
pressed widow, the defrauded laborer, the distressed 
sick—they are greater in heaven than mighty kings 
and queens, than renowned statesmen and scholars, 
greater in proportion to the superiority they attained 
by their good works. The good works of the Chris¬ 
tian, made valuable through the merits of Christ, are 
his purchasing price of heaven; they gain for him a 
reward, a crown, a recompense corresponding to the 
merits gained by their performance. Every good 
work contributes to his glorification in heaven. Every¬ 
thing that a Christian in the state of grace does with 
the intention of fulfilling the holy will of God, to 
honor and glory his Maker—all such works, even the 
least, are ennobled, perfected and rendered meritorious 
for eternal life by sanctifying grace Hence Christ so 
lovingly exhorts us, “Lay up to yourselves treasures 
in heaven.” (Matth. vi. 20.) 

488. Effective as our good works may be to bring 
about our reconciliation with God, to increase sancti- 
fying grace in our souls, and to augment our glory in 
heaven, these fruits produced by them are independ¬ 
ent of the fruit of atonement. They always remain 
the property of him who performed the good works in 
the state of grace. By every good work we can also 
implore of God grace for ourselves or for others, which 
He grants if no obstacle intervenes. These graces are 
given to assist us in this world. In bestowing them 
God wishes to make us more solicitous for eternity ; 
by means of them we are to lead more holy and meri¬ 
torious lives. The supplicatory fruit of our good works 
therefore moves God to give us more grace in order 


4G2 


Chapter I '/, 


that we may grow in perfection ; or in case we pray 
for such as are in the state of sin, that God may give 
them the grace of conversion. Good works moreover 
obtain for us preservation from temporal punishments ; 
that is, God either does not visit us with the temporal 
punishments which we deserved, or if He does, He 
lessens or mitigates them. It is for this very purpose 
that the faithful perform so many good works of de¬ 
votion, mortification and charity—that is, works of 
prayer, fasting and alms-giving. In the state of grace 
they often receive more additional grace than they 
have a right to expect. The faithful servant who 
employs his talents (the grace of God) well, receives 
as reward not only “the joy of his Lord,” that is, 
eternal bliss—before he gets the reward promised he 
receives more talents (grace) ; “for to every one that 
hath, shall be given, and he shall abound” (Matth. 
XXV. 29); that is, he that co-operates with grace will 
receive still more grace. 

489. In His foreknowledge of the prayers, suffer¬ 
ings, virtues and merits of His Divine Son God granted 
many graces to mankind even before redemption was 
accomplished. In like manner does He also grant 
many graces in the foreknowledge of oiir prayers, and 
of the prayers and sacrifices of the Church, especially 
to sinners that they may be saved by His grace. 
Masters of spiritual life ascribe these sudden effects of 
grace to various causes. The most Precious Blood of 
Christ, by which the human soul was ransomed; the 
inscrutable mercy of God; some good work—such as 
an alms-deed, a prayer, etc.—once performed or prac¬ 
ticed, and perhaps long since forgotten; penances and 
intercessions by others; the invisible ministry of the 


The Heroic Act of Charity for the Suffering Sonls, 4G3 

guardian angel, who at the decisive moment redoubles 
his efforts for his ward ; above all, the intercession of 
the Blessed Virgin Mary, and that of our patron saints, 
and the suffrages offered up for us after our death— 
these are some of the causes pointed out by spiritual 
writers. What a consolation lies in this doctrine of 
the intercessory power of every good work! In the 
foreknowledge of our future prayer God often grants 
a sinner the grace of a good death; and in considera¬ 
tion of our actual prayer He even consents to release 
a soul from the expiatory flames of Purgatory. The 
prayers which console us at this hour have in the past 
assisted in releasing that soul we so dearl}^ love. 

490. The following impressive example will serve 
to elucidate this doctrine. St. Gertrude was once 'in¬ 
formed of the death of a man who had led a very 
worldly-minded life. From compassion for the sorrow 
of his relatives she prayed for him a long time. At 
last his soul appeared to her in a deformed shape, 
black and mournful. The saint thenceforth redoubled 
her prayer and implored Jesus to favor and pardon 
this soul. Our Lord consented and asked her, “In 
what manner shall I favor this man ? Shall I pardon 
all his sins and release him?” Gertrude feared that 
this might not accord with divine justice. But Jesus 
replied, “It would not be contrary to My justice, if 
thou wouldst confidently implore Me to do so, because 
at his death I foresaw thy prayer, and therefore I dis¬ 
posed him that he might receive and profit by thy 
charity.” The saint now answered, “Then, O Lord, 
Thou source and cause of our salvation, I beseech 
Thee*to complete this work of Thy mercy in the 
manner most acceptable to Thee, because Thy grace 


464 


Chapter VI. 


inspires nte with full confidence in Thee.” Scarcely 
had she finished, when the deceased’s soul appeared to 
her in human form, cleansed and purified. 

491. In the life of Sister Mary Dionysia, a nun of 
the Visitation, we read that nine years before her 
death the Tord led her after communion to the con¬ 
fines of Purgatory. It was on the feast of our Lady of 
Angels. He showed her the soul of a prince in Pur¬ 
gatory who had been killed in a duel, but who in con¬ 
sideration of her future suffrages received the grace of 
true contrition at the very moment of his death. Our 
Lord exhorted her to pray for this soul with particular 
fervor. At the same time she saw the whole life of 
this prince, how he had lived according to the prin¬ 
ciples of the world; and now perhaps he would have 
to suffer to the day of the general judgment. She felt 
such compassion for him because of his torments, and 
at the same time she was filled with such admiration 
of God’s mercy—the mercy of Him who had pre¬ 
served the man from hejl during the perpetration of 
the very act whereby he had deserved it—that she 
thenceforth devoted her whole life, nine years and three 
months, to atone for him ; and she even offered her life 
if she could but obtain for this soul a mitigation of 
punishment. She declared moreover that she was 
moved less by the contemplation of the wretched state 
of this soul, than by being informed how miraculously 
the soul was saved from perdition. It seemed to her 
that the grace whereby this man was saved was an 
emanation of the supreme love and goodness of God; 
for the act by which this prince’s death was caused 
was one deserving eternal damnation. On his part he 
had done absolutely nothing to which grace might 


The Heroic Act of Charity for the Sufferitig Souls. 4G5 

attach itself. But in virtue of the communiou of 
saints he shared in the prayers that had been said for 
him and were foreseen to be .said for him in future; 
and as he had preserved the faith, he was not unlike 
a dr}^ twig that easily ignites, so that when the scin¬ 
tillation of divine grace touched the centre of his soul, 
the fire of divine love was immediately enkindled in it 
and produced the saving effect. God had made use of 
the instinct by which we call on His help when in im¬ 
mediate danger of death, thereby impelling Him to co¬ 
operate with actual grace. And this grace is more 
effective than we can imagine; it operates more 
quickly than the twinkling of an eye. It produces its 
effect in almost less time than is required to give it its 
first impulse.—We have an example of this in the con¬ 
version of St. Paul, blinded bodily and enlightened 
spiritually in a moment. In his last moment the 
prince regained consciousness, and as it were instinct¬ 
ively called on God for help; and this was the same 
moment when grace touched him. Co-operating with 
it and aided by it, he made an act of perfect contrition 
and was saved. “Since the time the devil is a devil,’’ 
observed the saintly Sister, “he perhaps never ex¬ 
perienced a greater disappointment than when he saw 
himself deprived of this prey. For he had no knowl¬ 
edge of the interior dispo.sition of his victim during 
those moments of grace that had been accorded the 
dying man.” 

492. In this manner does every good act appeal to 
the Divine Heart of Jesus to obtain for us saving grace 
for time and eternity. This effective appeal of our 
good works is a distinct fruit, a fruit wholly independ¬ 
ent of the atoning value of these same works.—How 

31 * 



4G6 


Chapter VI. 


bountiful is our good God who gives us for every good 
work so rich a harvest, a five-fold reward ! Every act 
performed in the state of grace and from vSupernatural 
motives acquires for us the following benefits: i) it 
enriches us with a merit for eternal life; 2) it appeases 
God’s anger; 3) it increases sanctifying grace; 4) it 
augments our heavenly reward; 5) by its intercessory 
power it obtains actual graces for this life. These acts 
most assuredly do not lose anything of their efficiency 
and value if God deigns to receive them also in atone¬ 
ment for punishment incurred: hence the same act 
may be both meritorious and atoning. 

493. The merit of a good work, in so far as it 
gives a claim for a reward in heaven, can 7 iot be ceded 
to someone else; for it necessarily belongs to the per¬ 
son who performed the work and thereby deserved 
the reward. In this sense nobody can yield the merits 
of his good works to another, because “every man shall 
receive his own reward according to his own labor.” 
But as to the atofimg or satisfactory value of these 
.works by which the debt of temporal punishment con¬ 
tracted through sin is cancelled—this can be ceded to 
others, and in such a manner, too, that atonement and 
satisfaction are really made. 

Now, Christian soul, if .you repeat your question, 
“What portion of our good works do we give to the 
Suffering Souls by the heroic act of charity?”—the 
answer is, “The atoning value only”. Everything else 
resulting from our good works—appeasement of God’s 
anger, increase of sanctifying grace, augmentation of 
our reward in heaven, acquirement of actual grace in 
this life—all this we retain for ourselves. 


The Heroic Act of Charity for the Suffering Souls. 467 

494. Oh, the precious gifts that we can obtain 
from the bountiful goodness of our Lord by our pray¬ 
ers and good works ! Our most indifferent, lowly and 
insignificant actions, such as eating, drinking, our daily 
labor, our rest, everything that we do in the state of 
grace from a desire to fulfil the holy will of God and 
thereby to please our Heavenly Master—everything is 
ennobled, perfected and rendered meritorious for 
eternity by sanctifying grace. • Hence the poorer a 
man is, the more infirm, the more despised of men, the 
richer he will be in the sight of heaven, if he daily offers 
to God his poverty, his infirmities, his misery, all his 
sufferings and trials, and bears them in patience for the 
love of God. For this reason St. Paul exhorts us, 
“Therefore whether you eat or drink, or whatsoever 
you do, do all for the glory of God.” (I Cor. x. 31.) 
And Christ our Lord Himself assures us, “Whosoever 
shall give to drink to one of these little ones a cup of 
cold water only in the name of a disciple, amen I say 
to you, he shall not lose his reward.” (Matth. x. 42.) 
—Let us therefore be more zealous in the performance 
of good works.! Above all let us be careful not to lose 
the state of sanctifying grace by mortal sin ! Let us 
be solicitous to renew our pure intention every morn¬ 
ing, so as not to miss these great merits! 

495. By the heroic act of charity we relinquish to 
the souls in Purgatory the diminution and remission 
of our temporal punishments, whether gained by our 
own good works, or obtained for us through the pray¬ 
ers and good works of others during life and after 
death. Hence by this act w^e voluntarily cede to the 
Poor Souls whatever share we have in the atonement 


408 


Chapter VI. 


made by the celebrating of Holy Masses, by the offer¬ 
ing of prayers, by the giving of alms, by the gaining 
of indulgences and by the performing of good works 
by and for us ; so that for ourselves we rely wholly on 
the infinite mercy of God. In this sense we donate to 
the Suffering Souls our own merits and the merits of 
others. We bind ourselves to this by a formal prom¬ 
ise. Hence this act is sometimes though improperly 
called a voza. It is simply a voluntary act not binding 
under pain of even venial sin. It need not be ex¬ 
pressed in words in order to gain the indulgences and 
privileges granted for this act. It is not necessary to 
repeat it often; yet its renewal from time to time is 
recommended, because thereby our charity will be 
re-kindled, and we will devote ourselves with fresh 
fervor to the release of the Suffering Souls., 

§ 63. The Practice of the Heroic Act of Charity. 

496. When we are about to perform an act pleas¬ 
ing to God or beneficial to our neighbor, human nature 
is inclined to make us fear that we are going too far or 
are doing too much. Hence w^e are easily satisfied with 
what we do and imagine that God is satisfied with us 
also. Our zeal is not ardent; the w^ords of Scripture ! 
do not apply to it, “The fire never saith, it is enough.” ] 
(Prov. XXX. 16.) Our sacrifices are therefore of a \ 
limited character. And this first fault generally causes ] 
another; for once having resolved to reserve some-1 
thing to ourselves, we rarely follow the example of ] 
Abel, but rather that of Cain. What we esteem 5 
highly, what is dear to us—that we select for ourselves; ^ 
and God and our neighbor must content themselves. 



The Heroic Act of Charity for the Suffering Souls. 469 

with whatever we can spare without self-denial. 
Hence our sacrifice is but too often one that costs us 
no effort. Moreover, the motives of our good works 
are often not pure, and hence they are of little or no 
value before God. We seek to please men ; we do not 
wish to be rated lower than others; we desire to please 
ourselves. What our Lord said of the pharisees may 
therefore and perhaps often be applicable also to us, 
“Amen I say to you, they have received their reward.” 
(Matth. VI. 16.) Finally, our sacrifices very often pro¬ 
ceed from vanity and are corrupted by self-interest. 

497. Instead of examining ourselves closely on 
this point—which scrutiny would most probably result 
to our confusion—, let us rather view the grand exam¬ 
ple of heroic charity given us by Christians of former 
ages, and so learn to avoid our faults for the future. 
It is self-evident that charity must be manifested by 
actions. Of this truth St. Gregor}^ was so convinced 
that he maintains, as a principle of Christian life, that 
where there is action there is charity; but let there be 
ever so much declaration of charity, if action be want¬ 
ing, charity is defective. Nevertheless acts—works 
alone—are not the sole proof of charity. It is proved 
even better by trials. Works are performed by vol¬ 
untary selection; trials come to us against our will. 
Works show themselves exteriorly and are often ren¬ 
dered worthless by vainglory; trials are considered as 
punishments, and therefore they humble us. Works 
are performed when and where our inclination 
prompts us to perform them; to trials we must submit 
always and as long as it pleases heaven. Not to be 
overwhelmed by them we must have a great love of 
God. There have been men who have accompished 


470 


Chapter VI. 


great things for God, but they did not stand the test 
of tribulations. Hence it follows that charity must 
be the more ardent, the more difficult the trials that 
must be borne, be they spiritual or corporal trials. 
Now judge for yourself from the following examples 
what a high degree of charity must have been attained 
by those who undertook so great works for God and 
for their deceased brethren. 

498. First let us consider the great solicitude with 
which all nations of the earth sought, from natural 
instinct, to honor the dead and to come to their aid.— 
The display and pomp of the ancient Gauls at their 
funerals is almost incredible ; their perverted sense of 
devotion to their dead led them even to cruelty and 
superstition. Julius Cesar, in his book De hello Gal¬ 
ileo (vi. 19.), relates that they cremated together with 
the deceased not only everything that he held dear, 
but also his slaves and freed-men, his furniture, weap¬ 
ons, horses, dogs, etc.—Could they do more to prove 
their devotion to his memory, their love for him ? 

499. The ancient Romans were no less anxious to 
honor their dead. During the cremation of the corpse 
those attending went repeatedly around the funeral 
pyre, moving In procession to the sound of doleful 
music; and at every round the weeping relatives 
would throw into'the flames some costly pledge of 
their affection for the deceased. Thus not only the 
clothing and war trophies of the deceased were burned 
together with his corpse, but the wives tore out their 
hair and threw their rings and bracelets into the fire. 
Others, despite the prohibition of the law, mutilated 
themselves in the excess of their grief; and some 
wives even sprang into the flames to be consumed 


The Heroic Act of Charity for the Suffering Souls. 471 

with their husbands, as is related by Cicero, Suetonius, 
Pliny and other authors. This latter circumstance 
reminds us of the custom of the natives of India men¬ 
tioned by Cicero. The natives of that country were 
given to the practice of polygamy; and so it happened 
sometimes that the wives struggled with one another 
for the privilege of being cremated alive with the 
deceased husband, because the one selected for it was 
considered the favorite. 

500. The pagans preserved the ashes of their rela¬ 
tives in an urn of clay, bronze, marble or gold, accord¬ 
ing to the wealth and rank of the deceased. During 
the funeral services the surviving relatives wept so 
profusely, that small vases called lacrymatories were 
filled with their tears. These vases were placed next 
to the ashes of the deceased; and over the tomb was 
placed a burning lamp, to indicate that their love and 
grief would be everlasting, that they would ever have 
tears in their eyes and love in their hearts for their 
departed kinsman.—To perpetuate the memory of her 
husband, king Mausolus, queen Artemisia had a tomb 
constructed which was regarded as one of the seven 
wonders of the world. Not content with this external 
demonstration of her love, she placed the ashes of her 
husband into a golden cup, mixed them with a bever¬ 
age and courageously drank them, thus burying him 
in her own bosom.— The funeral celebration which 
Alexander the Great arranged for his friend Hyphaes- 
tion surpassed all other deeds performed by this king. 
The pyre alone is estimated to have cost eleven mil¬ 
lion dollars.— Miltiades was sentenced to pay a cer¬ 
tain sum; as he was not able to do so, he was cast 
into prison and died there. As the term of his im- 


472 


Chapter Cl. 


prisonment had not expired at the time of his death, 
the authorities would not make arrangements for his 
burial. His son Cimon immediately offered himself 
to serve out the unexpired term, and thus he procured 
his father’s interment.—A beautiful example of filial 
devotion given by a pagan ! 

501. Should our charity for the deceased, super¬ 
natural and infused by God Himself, not be incom¬ 
parably more ardent and effective? If these pagans 
had been Christians, what would they not have done 
to release the souls of those they loved from the tor¬ 
ments of Purgatory and to open heaven to them ? 
And now, behold the indifference of Christians ; be¬ 
hold the small number of those who have at heart the 
release of the Holy Souls! On the other hand, con¬ 
sider how great is the number of those who ape the 
extravagant funeral display of the modern pagans of 
our day! Is vanity to triumph over true Christian 
charity, frivolity over piety, the American pagan over 
the Roman Catholic? Shall natural affection have the 
power of producing heroic deeds of charity while 
Christian charity stands vanquished?—O piety with¬ 
out essence, charity without works, devotion without 
effect—if w’e are not moved to compassion by the fiery 
torments suffered by the Holy Souls! Pagans will sit 
in judgment over us on the last day, and will accuse 
us of believing one way and acting another, because 
we did little or nothing for our departed friends ! 

502. Great and heroic as are the works of the 
pagans for their deceased, the deeds of zealous Chris¬ 
tians for the faithful departed greatly surpass them. 
To be productive of self-sacrificing, heroic members 
who hasten to assist the Suffering Souls, is one of the 


The Heroic Act of Charity for the Suffering Souls. 473 

beautiful prerogatives of the Catholic Church, and a 
distinctive mark by which she is known from other 
denominations. The great number of her heroes of 
charity and the diversity of their practices in favor of 
the Suffering Souls is truly wonderful. No country is 
so sterile, no century so barbarous, but it produced its 
heroes; there is no work of charity to which the 
Church cannot point as an example; no day of the 
year on which she does not remind us of a model of 
some charitable practice for the repose of the dead.— 
The wise men of pagan times are praised ; their moral 
rigor, austere principles and intellectual vigor are 
lauded; incidents of their lives are pointed out as ex¬ 
amples for imitation. But—not to mention the dif¬ 
ference between Christian and pagan virtue—what 
are two or three good men in so many centuries when 
contrasted with the countless number of Christian 
saints? After the Greeks have pointed out their 
Socrates, their Cimon, the Romans their Cato—there 
are not many more left to them. And the Catholic 
Church ?—All saints in heaven, and all true and zeal¬ 
ous members of the Church militant are heroic friends 
of the Suffering Souls ! 

503. Heroic acts of charity are not restricted to 
one class of benefactors, or to one kind of works. 
Zealous charity for the Suffering Souls has ever been 
inventive in its modes of expression ; and accordingly 
it has produced that beautiful and harmonious diversity 
which is a'joy to the Church, an honor to humanity, 
and an effective means for the continual population of 
heaven. Search the bleak deserts, the snowy mountain 
peaks and the w^ooded vales throughout the world: you 
will find heroes of charity everywhere. Every age,con- 


474 


Chapter VI. 


ditioii and sex has its representatives. You find heroes 
and heroines of charity in palaces and on thrones. Re¬ 
member the holy king St. Louis of France. He wore 
the habit of St. Francis’ Third Order of Penance beneath 
the royal purple; his tender hands were stained with 
bandaging the leprous sores of beggars; his alms were 
scattered broadcast from the Seine to the Jordan. 
Behold him in the,manifold character of a just ruler, a 
wise law-giver, a brave warrior, a loving husband, a 
kind father, a devout son of the Church; and with all 
these saintly virtues he joined a tender charity for the 
Suffering Souls!—And again, turn your eyes to the 
lowly shepherds of the plains. Their virtues were 
hidden to the w^orld; their virtuous deeds were- un¬ 
known except to the all-seeing eye of God; and yet 
the Church has sought them out and accords to them 
the honor of her altars—for instance, St. Genevieve 
in ancient times, St. Germaine Cousin in our own ! 
Remember St. Alexius, the outcast in his father’s owm 
house, in times so long ago that they seem ages ; and 
again, see the holy pilgrim of the last century, St. 
Benedict Joseph Labre, begging his way from shrine 
to shrine ;—they all are friends, heroic friends, of the 
Holy vSouls ; their every act is a prayer, an offering 
for the release of these sufferers. O wonderful 
fecundity of grace and charity, yielding every day new 
and living proofs of its efficiency, productive of heroes 
in all phases of life, in every age, condition, character 
and sex, and yet ever retaining its creative power! O 
wonderful religion, begetting in its saints the true type 
of heroism, regenerating human society in the charity 
of Christ I 

504. Heroism is but another word for fortitude; 
and where is greater fortitude to be found than with 


The Heroic Act of Charity for the Suffering Souls, 475 

the faithful, generous followers of Christ ? True, the 
world laughs at them. It has ever been so, as Holy 
Scripture informs us, “The simplicity of the just man 
is laughed to scorn.” (Job xii. 4.) The world de¬ 
mands virtues of a different type, which call forth the 
praise of men: certain virtues of position, easy of 
practice and seldom put to a test; acts of bravery ap¬ 
plauded by admiring crowds-; a life of glory, fame and 
renown ; an end like that of the tragedian counter¬ 
feiting death on the stage, and closing the scene with 
a striking utterance. This the world considers to be 
the height of heroism. But to overcome self; to be 
ruler of one’s heart; to pardon injuries and to bear 
trials ; to despise the honors which the world idolizes ; 
to love truth to the point of giving one’s life for it; to 
be resigned in all the vicissitudes of life; to go through 
life quietly and peacefully, leaving no other foot-prints 
but those of charity ; to forgive and love one’s ene¬ 
mies :—is this not great heroism? And such was the 
heroism of the devout friends of the Suffering Souls, 
of those who offered themselves as victims of charity 
for them. Their virtue was not the caprice of a 
moment, but the result of a life-long combat, until 
finally it became and remained a fixed and stable dis¬ 
position of their being. If w'e read their utterances or 
consider their achievements, we find no attempt at ap¬ 
pearing great before the world. Always engaged in 
combat with the world, with hell and with the passions, 
and ever victorious, their mode of life was simple and 
unostentatious. The world accuses them of narrow¬ 
mindedness, because of their humility and contempt 
of fame. The children of the world seek their great¬ 
ness in public applause and display : but is not the 
disdain of such greatness a proof of real heroism ? 


476 


Chapter VI. 


Does it not require great courage to fulfil the promises 
made in baptism of renouncing satan, his works and 
his pomps ? Or is the world to be called strongminded 
because it succumbs to the temptations of pride while 
the friends of the Holy Souls triumph over them? 
Moreover, these helpers of the sufferers in Purgatory 
despised the world, not from the motives which actu¬ 
ate so-called philosophers who veil their pride wdth 
poverty and appear to disdain fame in order to achieve 
it more easily. What could the friends of the Suffer¬ 
ing Souls gain by hypocrisy ? Unknown to the world, 
knowm onU to God, the good works of these holy 
Christians were performed for heaven, not for transi¬ 
tory honor. 

505. Yet we must not infer from this that the 
friends of the Holy Souls hid their light under the 
bushel (Matth. v. 16), that they did not shine by the 
light of their good example. History abounds with 
their words spoken and deeds performed in favor of 
the suffering spouses of Christ. They were indeed 
heroes, rejoicing at being able to do and to suffer some¬ 
thing for the Holy Souls —for example, those brave 
virgins who defaced their beauty with their own 
hands to escape the assaults of libertines, and offered 
up this heroic act for the relief of those souls in Pur¬ 
gatory that suffered for sins of impurity ; those apos¬ 
tolic men who defied the ic}^ blasts of the northpole 
and the scorching heat of the tropics, who travelled 
through barren wildernesses and across unknown seas 
to bring the glad tidings of the Gospel to barbarious 
nations, and suffered all the fatigues of their holy 
calling for the souls of the faithful departed. Others 
sanctified • themselves amid the dangers of the world 


The Heroic Act of Charity for the Suffermg Souls. 477 

and found ways and means to live hi it without being 
of it. If they had not gold to give to the poor, they 
gave the cup of cold water in a spirit of charity, sure 
that even this would be rewarded in heaven. They 
were ever solicitous to dry the tears of the distressed, 
to minister to the sick, to comfort the afflicted, to 
loosen the bonds of prisoners, to relieve the oppressed 
and to strengthen the weak. Knowing that man is 
subject to so much wretchedness and misery, their 
aim was to aid and encourage, to instruct and improve 
him, and thus to assist him on his way through the 
portals of death ; and all this they did to atone for the 
Suffering Souls. These heroes achieved a three-fold 
result: their virtues secured for them a blissful eter¬ 
nity ; for the souls of Purgatory they obtained relief 
and deliverance; and to their survivors they left an 
example of heroic fortitude. And though the enemies 
of God and the Church may have destroyed the 
monuments of their zeal, the spirit that prompted it 
sti.l animates their follow^ers: they, too, are steadfast 
friends of the Holy Souls. 

506. Let us view at random some of these heroic 
benefactors of the souls in Purgatory.—There is St. 
Christina. History relates wonderful instances of her 
charity for the Holy Souls. She died in 1182, being then 
thirty-two years of age. Her biographers relate that 
her soul was transported by angels into Purgatory to 
witness its torments. Thence the angels brought her 
to heaven before the throne of God. Our Lord re¬ 
garded her with complacency and said, “Christina, My 
daughter, thou art here in the abode of bliss. I leave 
thee free to choose: thou canst remain here among 
the blessed, or thqu canst return for some years to the 


478 


Chapter VI. 


world, there to come to the aid of the Sulfering Souls 
by thy good works. If thou choosest the former thy 
salvation is accomplished and thou hast no longer 
anything to fear; but if thou choosest to return to the 
earth thou shalt there suffer martyrdom for the relief 
of these unfortunates, and for the increase of thy re¬ 
ward.” Christina did not hesitate to leave heaven. 
Returned to life, she thenceforth astonished all by the 
rigor of her penance. She fasted continually; she 
scourged herself most cruelly; she threw herself into 
thorns—all for the Suffering Souls. Finally, after 
some years of incredible austerities, she was called to 
receive the reward of her heroic charity. 

507. St. John Damascene, in his ardent love for 
the Holy Souls, wrote a remarkable dissertation on 
Purgatory, in which he relates that Josaphat, king and 
hermit, on the death of his father Abehner, remained 
at his grave for seven days without eating, drinking or 
sleeping, to invoke divine mercy for the departed soul. 
“My Lord and my God,” he continued to exclaim, 
“remember not the sins of my father, destroy the hand¬ 
writing of his debt, and grant eternal rest to his soul.” 
After having repeated these words again and again for 
a long time, he was rapt in ecstacy and saw two dia¬ 
dems of glory resplendent with precious stones and 
alike in beauty. He was told that one of these crowns 
was destined for his father, the other for him. His 
first thought was: “How can this be? My father, who 
scarcely did anything for heaven, shall receive the 
same crown as I, who have left my throne to suffer 
these mortifications?” He was then informed that 
one day he would be told the reason, and that in part 
he was himself the cause. The royal hermit adored 




Th^ Heroic Act of Charity for the Suffering Souls. 479 

the inscrutable counsels of God and asked pardon for 
his fault. He continued to pray for his father’s soul, 
and had the consolation to know that he was admitted 
to heaven. 

508. One of the most renowned friends of the 
Holy Souls was St. Theresa. She not only prayed for 
them herself, but spread the devotion to them to all 
the houses of her Order. On All Souls’ day, after the 
Mass of Requiem, she was wont to assemble the com¬ 
munity to hear an instruction on the means of helping 
the Suffering Souls; and every member gave a written 
promise to say some prayers and to perform some good 
works for the Holy Souls during the coming year. 
Theresa herself, a model of heroic charity, offered up 
for them all her good works and the atoning merits of 
her suffering. And her sufferings especially were very 
great. At the beginning of her religious life^she be¬ 
came so ill that she had to return home. Finding no 
relief there, she returned to the convent, where she 
continued to suffer from all kinds of maladies for over 
twenty years,. During all this time she remained the 
constant friend of the Holy Souls, offering up for them 
all her trials. She saw in spirit the ineffable tor¬ 
ments of Purgatory, and she never ceased her suffrages. 
She well knew that God sends us sufferings to enable 
us to atone for our sins; nevertheless her heroic char¬ 
ity taught her that He accepts this atonement also in 
favor of others. She lived and died a heroine of 
charity. 

509. To convert barbarous nations and to gain 
them for Christ St. Francis Xavier crossed the seas, 
exposed himself to innumerable dangers, and died con¬ 
sumed by charity, forsaken and alone on the bleak shore 


480 


Chapter VI. 


of a desert island. He was so ardent a friend of the Suf¬ 
fering Souls, that he often walked the streets of cities 
ringing a bell and exhorting the people to pray for 
them. In Malacca he appointed a man to go at mid¬ 
night through the streets with a lantern and a bell, 
and to call out, “Pray for the souls of the faithful de¬ 
parted suffering in Purgatory !” Scorned by the world, 
he was a hero of charity before God. 

510. Among the numerous servants of God who 
aided the Suffering Souls by prayer and exercises of 
penance must also be mentioned the Venerable Domi¬ 
nic of Jesus-Mary, who died in Vienna, Austria, in 
1630. A man that spent himself for the salvation 
of his fellow-men, he could not forget the Suffering 
Souls. In his writings, published after his death, we 
find many instances of his intercourse with the spirit 
world, which clearly prove how devoted he was to the 
Holy Souls. By his prayer and extraordinary works 
of self-denial and mortification he released a great 
number of souls, among them the soul of his own 
father. Once, while saying Mass in a chapel where 
there was an ancient miraculous picture of the Blessed 
Virgin, our Dord permitted him to see a number of 
souls leaving Purgatory while he was making the 
Memento for the dead. He was also informed that 
St. Ildephons, who had a great veneration for that 
miraculous picture, had also released many souls there. 
Father Dominic continued in his fervent charity for 
the Suffering Souls till his death. 

511. The Venerable Thomas a Kempis relates of 
St. Tidwina, who lived at his time and in his country; 
This holy virgin suffered from an illness of forty-three 
years’ duration. In her ecstacies she was often con- 


The Heroic Act of Charity for the Suffering Souls. 481 

ducted by her guardian angel into Purgatory, where 
she saw the souls enduring various torments according 
to the degree of their guilt. Amongst them she no¬ 
ticed many of her friends. Thereby she was encour¬ 
aged not only to suffer patiently herself, but to offer up 
her sufferings and to increase them voluntarily for the 
sake of the Poor Souls. She continually invoked the 
mercy of God for them, and often wept so copiously 
in contemplating their torments that her tears were 
turned into blood. She released many souls, and was 
particularly successful in doing so on great feasts.— 
Another writer mentions that she once declared her¬ 
self willing, in suffrage for the Holy Souls, to continue 
in her sufferings to the end of the world if it so pleased 
God, rather than to enter heaven at once—God Him¬ 
self having proposed the choice to her. By this heroic 
offering she released a great number of souls, amongst 
them those of her parents, and of all her relatives to 
the ninth degree. 

512. lyike St. Tidwina most of the friends of the 
Holy Souls were sorry to leave this earth, because 
death terminated their acts of charity in behalf of 
their suffering clients. Hence they offered themselves 
wholly to God and resigned themselves to His holy 
will. But charity is inventive; it is not only resigned, 
but also becomes heroic. This charity reasons as fol¬ 
lows : If mortal men willingly suffer the greatest 
pains and torments to protect their loved ones— 
mothers for their children, brothers and sisters for one 
another—why should not a Christian heart, moved by 
the double love of God and man, do the same? Why 
should we not suffer for these Holy Souls as we suffer 
for our loved ones on earth ?—Filled with heroic love 

32 * 


482 


Chapter VI. 


of God disinterested souls therefore exclaim, “If I 
have the happiness of gaining heaven, I know that 
I shall be one of the least in the mansions of bliss. 
But in Purgatory there are souls that will be raised 
above the angels after they have atoned for their sins. 
For them I will gladly remain in Purgatory, that God’s 
glory may be increased by their praise, and that innu¬ 
merable other souls may find release through their in¬ 
tercession. No, I do not wish to be freed from Purga¬ 
tory, if I can thereby secure the release of these souls. 
If God permits, I cede to them all the intercessions 
made for me. My torments will be sweet and dear to 
me because God’s glory is increased thereby.” 

513. St. Paulinus, bishop of Nola, sold himself 
into slavery to effect the release of a poor widow’s son ; 
and he would have suffered a thousand deaths to re¬ 
lease one soul from Purgatory. “For love is strong as 

death.Many waters cannot quench charity, neither 

can floods drown it: if a man should give all the sub¬ 
stance of his house for love, he shall despise it as 
nothing.” (Cant. viii. 6. 7.) To heroic charity the 
merits gained during mortal life are not sufficient to 
satisfy its desire of helping these poorest of the poor ; 
it extends itself beyond this world; it descends into 
Purgatory and suffers the punishment incurred, yield¬ 
ing to other suffering souls the atonements made by 
friends and relatives. Faber writes in his “All for 
Jesus” (chap, ii.): “See how far some have gone, whose 
praise is • in all the churches. Father Ferdinand de 
Monroy, a most apostolic man, at the hour of death 
made a writing in donation and transfer to the souls 
in Purgatory of all the Masses that should be said for 
him after he was dead, of all the penance offered up 
for him, and all the indulgences gained for him.” 



The Heroic Act of Charity for the Suffer mg Souls. 483 

514. Christ our lyord Himself and the saints have 
given us examples of this heroic love. “Christ came 
into this world to save sinners.” (I Tim. i. 15.) 
He left His glory, He became so poor that He had 
not where to lay His head ; all for the love of us. “In 
this we have known the charity of God, because He 
hath laid down His life for us : and we ought to lay 
down our lives for the brethren.” (I John iii. 16.) 
In imitation of this example the apostles did the same. 
They became, as St. Paul says of himself, the servants 
of all that they might gain all. “I became all things to 
all men, that I might save all.” (I Cor. ix. 22.) This 
is the character of true charity. “Charity is patient, is 
kind. Charity envieth not, dealeth not perversely, is 
not puffed up, is not ambitious, seeketh not her own, 
is not provoked by anger, thinketh no evil, rejoiceth 
not in iniquity, but rejoiceth with the truth : beareth 
all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, en- 
dureth all things.” (I Cor. xiii. 4—7.) Charity re¬ 
members that “we being many, are one body in Christ, 
and every one members of one another.” (Rom. xii. 
5.) Hence we. are not to regard as extraordinary 
the heroic act of charity for the Suffering Souls. 

515. Striving to become more and more like unto 
their Divine Master the saints continually remembered 
the souls suffering in Purgatory; for they well knew 
that they could not better demonstrate their love for 
Jesus than by effecting a speedj^ release of His im¬ 
prisoned spouses. Hence St. Bridget hesitates not to 
declare, “If by our intercession we release a soul from 
Purgatory, we perform a work most pleasing to God ; 
for He regards this work as though it had been done 
to Himself. He will reward us for this service in a 


484 


Chapter VI. 


manner most profitable to us.”—To render their 
charity for the Suffering Souls still more conspicuous 
these generous lovers of their Lord go a step further: 
they offer to Him even the sacrifice of their own will 
concerning the selection of the souls to be released. 
And to make this sacrifice still more acceptable they 
present it by the hands of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 
In this they follow the example of the servant of 
God, Father Oliden, of the Theatine Order. It was 
He who introduced this practice; and he received the 
assurance that it was most pleasing to God. These 
friends of the Holy Souls look up to their Divine 
Savior and see with what great love He regards His 
Blessed Mother Mary ; they know that the more they 
honor and love her the more efficient their intercession 
will be. Hence they prefer Mary’s will to their own, 
prefer it to their love for their friends and relatives; 
they are content to see Mary’^ will fulfilled rather than 
to release their own dear ones. O how pleasing to 
our Lord is such a love for His Mother ! For is it not 
a most effective demonstration of love for Himself? 
Is it not a triumph of supernatural over natural 
charity ? Hence this sacrifice is regarded by our 
Lord with the greatest complacency, as He once de¬ 
clared to St. Bridget, ”My Mother is the Mistress of 
My Kingdom. She admits to it whomsoever she 
pleases, and what she does is well done.” 

516. Convinced of this truth Pope Benedict 
VIII. explained this practice to the people in sixty 
public addresses. And not content with having ex¬ 
plained it to others, he himself publicly from the pul¬ 
pit professed this heroic act.—The same was done, at 
the instance of the Blessed Virgin herself, by the 


The, Heroic Act of Charity for the Suffering Souls. 485 

Venerable Jesuit, Father John Ximenes; also by a 
great many other holy and learned persons—for in- 
titance St. Gertrude, St. Catherine of Siena, St. 
Theresa, St. Bridget, St. lyidwina, Venerable Euse¬ 
bius Nieremberg, S. J., Catherine Emmerich, etc., etc. 
Even religious communities pledged themselves and 
do pledge themselves to day to practice this heroic act 
of charity. Prominent among these is the “Congre¬ 
gation of Helpers of the Holy Souls,” a female com¬ 
munity devoted to the care of poor sick, to whom they 
minister day and night. They add to the three usual 
religious vows a fourth, by which they cede all the 
fruits of their prayers and good wwks, and of those 
performed for them after death, to the Suffering Souls. 

But not only religious make this act; thousands 
and thousands of devout souls in the world do the 
same. They serve God and their neighbor in ardent 
charity. They make use of the golden treasury of 
good works to apply the merits of the Most Precious 
Blood to the Suffering Souls, imploring our Savior to 
refresh them in their torments.—Christian soul, can 
you remain an idle spectator where such heroic deeds 
are performed? Are you content with sterile admira¬ 
tion of their charity? Oh, no! Let it not be thus I 
Do no longer delay to make this heroic act. Fall on 
your knees at once, and say with all your heart: 

O Heavenly Father ! In union with the merits of 
Jesus and Mary I offer to Thee for the Suffering Souls 
in Purgatory all the satisfactory works of my whole 
life, as also those works that will be offered for me 
after my death. I deliver these works into the most 
pure hands of the Immaculate Virgin Mary, that she 
may distribute them amongst those souls whom she in 


486 


Chapter VI. 


her wisdom and maternal love desires to release first 
from Purgatory. Graciously accept, O Lord, this 
offering, and in return let me daily increase in Thy 
grace ! Through Christ our Lord. Amen. 

§ 64. Motives for Making the Heroic Act of Charity. 

517. Christian soul! Considering the extent of 
this offering you are perhaps in doubt as to the ad¬ 
visability of thus renouncing even the little good that 
you can call your own. If you were a St. Aloysius, a 
St. Stanislas Kostka, a St. Theresa, you would feel 
more encouraged to perform this act of charity ; but 
then—! To appear before the all-searching eye of 
God to receive from Him the sentence of judgment 
that is to decide our eternal destiny is an event of so 
serious import that language has no adequate ex¬ 
pression for it. And there we are to appear without 
fruits!—O terrible thought! “We must all be mani¬ 
fested before the judgment-seat of Christ,'’ says St. 
Paul, “that every one may receive . . . according as 
he hath done, whether it be good or evil.” (II Cor. v. 
10.) How well it will be for us then, if we have 
always lived in the fear of our Judge, if we have sent 
before us good works, and have gained friends to 
receive us in the eternal mansions.—Terrible judg¬ 
ment, how it causes us to tremble !—We acknowledge 
our deficiency in merit; we discern that we have done 
scarcely anything for God and for eternity ! And this 
being the case, we are invited to give up that little to 
others?—“Charity begins at home.” 

518. The soul of a Christian who has yielded all 
the atoning merit of his good works to the Suffering 


The Heroic Act of Charity for the Suffering Souls. 487 

.Souls is about to appear before its Judge, before Him 
who judges all in rigorous justice. Soon the records will 
be searched. Suppose this Christian’s life has been a 
sinful one. His conscience, even now, begins its in¬ 
criminations : “Where is your faith and where are 
your works ? Have they always corresponded ?— 
What did you believe? You believed that everything 
in the world is vain and unworthy of your attention ; 
that only such things as are worthy of God and 
profitable for eternity are deserving of regard. This 
was your faith : and yet you lived for the world. You 
devoted yourself to things temporal; you were poor 
in heavenly treasures, and yet your sole aim was to 
amass earthly wealth, to surpass others, to make your 
fortune.—These are your works.—You believed it to 
be your first and most important duty to love God 
above all things and with your whole heart, and to 
love everything else only in and for God: and yet you 
loved everything except God. You had to force your¬ 
self to think of Him. But to offend Him cost you no 
effort. What a discrepancy between your faith and 
your works!’’—Oh, sad reflections of a dying man 
who abandoned himself to his evil inclinations ! 

519. But the light of faith illuminates the dark¬ 
ness of despair for the dying Christian.—True, he has 
sinned often ; but his confessions were always con¬ 
trite and sincere and so frequent, his penance so well- 
meant, that he may confidently hope to have cleansed 
his soul in the Most Precious Blood of the Son of 
God. Wherever he found himself deficient—in the 
observance of the commandments, in his duties and 
obligations—all this he repaired to the full extent of 
his ability. Now God’s minister approaches to bring 


488 


Chapter VI. 


him the consolations of religion. He receives Ex-^ 
treme Unction. “By this holy unction,” says the 
priest, “and by His benign mercy, may God forgive 
thee what thou hast sinned with th}^ senses.” He is 
now wholly cleansed, and peacefully he expects the 
summons of the Lord.—But still a doubt disquiets him. 
True, his sins are forgiven; heaven will be his reward 
after atoning in Purgatory. When, oh, w^hen will he 
get to heaven ? He gave all his good works to the 
Suffering Souls by the heroic act of charity. He was 
charitable towards others, but forgot himself! He is 
harassed with doubt and inclines to the belief that 
his Purgatory will be of long duration.—And now 
death claims him. 

520. Scarcely has he expired, when he hears the 
dreadful words of Christ, “With w^hat judgment you 
judge, you shall be judged; and with what measure 
you mete, it shall be measured to you again.” (Matth. 
VII. 2.) And solemn silence follows these words— 
when, behold, the Judge appears bearing the imprint 
of His five wounds. He addresses the soul, “Wel¬ 
come, my beloved brother ! Thou hast devoted all 
thy works and prayers to the release of the souls suf¬ 
fering in Purgatory. Thy charity was great; it im¬ 
pelled thee to forget thyself in the desire to help them. 
Receive now for thyself what thou didst so ardently 
implore for others—the full remission of thy temporal 
punishment and immediate admission to heaven.” 

521. To St. Gertrude, who had made this heroic 
act of charity, and who was therefore greatly in fear of 
Purgatory, our Uord appeared-and said, “That thou 
mayest know how pleasing to Me was thy charity to¬ 
wards the Suffering Souls, I remit to thee the entire 


The Heroic Act of Charity for the Suffering Souls. 489 

punishment that had been decreed for thee. And hav¬ 
ing promised a hundred-fold, I will greatly increase 
thy glory in heaven.”—To St. Bridget also, who was 
troubled by the same thought, He appeared, saying, 
“My daughter! that thou mayest know how pleasing 
thy charity was to Me, I remit to thee all the punish¬ 
ment which thou otherwise shouldst have had to suffer 
in Purgatory. And as I have promised to reward a 
hundred-fold all who renounce their own for love of 
Me, I will moreover increase thy reward above thy 
merits and add to thy glory in heaven. Besides I will 
permit all the souls whom thou hast released to meet 
thee at thy death, and to conduct thy soul triumphant¬ 
ly to heaven.” 

522. Even supposing that a soul which has exer¬ 
cised this charitable act were sentenced to Purgatory 
after death because of certain faults or of punishment 
incurred, it would nevertheless be an object of special 
solicitude on the part of our Savior. Its punishment 
would be of short duration, for we can not doubt that 
God’s wisdom and power have many means of coming 
to the aid of such a soul. We must remember in this 
connection that God has reserved to Himself the dis¬ 
tribution of the fruits of intercession, of Masses and 
indulgences applied for the Suffering Souls. When 
applying these suffrages God will surely regard those 
with particular favor who have given all their own 
merits for the relief of the Suffering Souls; and so He 
will reward their charity a hundred-fold. We must 
remember that prayers for the faithful departed in 
general are said often and everywhere; that prayers, 
Masses and indulgences are offered for many who were 
admitted to heaven long ago; that the millions who 


490 


Chapter VI, 


are making the heroic act of charity, daily offer to 
God countless works of atonement. Verily, by rely¬ 
ing on the mercy of God we consult our own interest 
better than by confiding in our personal merits. 

523. It is impossible to describe the joy experi¬ 
enced by the departed soul of this Christian on finding 
that its atoning merits are not only not lost, but that 
they were rendered a hundred-fold more durable by this 
heroic act of charity. Not only does the Divine Judge 
remit to him all punishment, but in return for even the 
most insignificant work for the Suffering Souls his 
glory in heaven has been increased. More and more 
is the soul convinced of the great value God attaches 
to this act of charity for the Suffering Souls. St. The¬ 
resa once remarked, after God had permitted her to 
glance at the glory of heaven, that she would gladly 
suffer every torment.to the end of the world in order 
to have her reward in heaven increased even b}' the 
smallest good work—by the devout reciting of one 
“Our Father”, or by an ejaculation for the Suffering 
Souls. She well knew that one degree of heavenly 
glory is more valuable than all the pleasures of the 
world.—“One degree of heavenly glory,” observes a 
master of spiritual life, “what does it mean ? It means, 
to enjoy the beatific vision of God in a greater meas¬ 
ure, to be more intimately united with God, to enjoy a 
greater reward—and all this forever !” 

524. Concerning this point Faber observes in his 
book “All for Jesus,” (chap. ii. § 5.,) where he treats 
of the cession of indulgences in favor of the Suffe-ring 
Souls: “The first fruit is the great increase of our 
merits by this; for, of the three things which the good, 
works of the just include, merit, impetration and satis- 


The Heroic Act of Charity for the Suffering Souls. 491 

faction, the greatest of all is merit; for by it we be¬ 
come more acceptible to God, and more His friends, 
receiving greater grace, and so acquiring a new title 
to greater glory. Doubtless, then, if a man could turn 
all the satisfaction of his good works into so much 
fresh merit, over and above the merit there was there 
before, he would be a gainer by it, and for this reason : 
—the glory of the Blessed is without comparison a 
greater good than the pains of Purgatory are an evil; 
and so the right to greater glory is a better thing than 
the right to less pain. He, then, who offers the satis¬ 
faction of his good works and his indulgences for the 
souls in Purgatory, does just this :—he converts his 
satisfaction into merit. In this charity is an heroic 
act of great virtue, by which he will acquire eternal 
life by means of that satisfaction turned into merits 
which is no help at all as simple satisfaction toward 
eternal life. As satisfaction, it would not have helped 
him one iota to that, but he makes it do so by turning 
it into merit, and at the same time helping others. 
Now this deserves reflection; for, besides the fact 
that glory is a greater good than Purgatory is an evil, 
we must remember that the increase of glory is a 
thing which is eternal, whereas the lightening of Pur¬ 
gatory is only temporal, for Purgatory itself is merely 
temporal; so that the difference between the increase 
of glory and the lightening of Purgatory is as good as 
infinite. And yet to enjoy eternal good, even in the 
very lowest degree, would be cheaply purchased by 
the endurance of the greatest temporal evils. We 
must add to this, that we ought in all things to do that 
which is most pleasing in the sight of God, not seek¬ 
ing our own interest and convenience, but His greater 


492 


Chapter VI. 


good pleasure. To please God is a better thing than 
to afvoid suffering; yet a man who keeps his satisfac¬ 
tion and indulgences to himself, does so from a desire 
of avoiding suffering; whereas he who offers them all 
for the souls in Purgatory thereby makes himself 
dearer to God, by a refinement of love in this heroic 
exercise of mercy and charity, which he was not 
bound to, but does out of the sweet freedom of his 
own will.” 

525. The soul of this Christian, then, perceives 
more and more clearly what inexhaustible blessings it 
owes to this heroic act of charity. It becomes aware 
that it possessed in it a most valuable means for the 
attainment of perfection. During his life on earth he 
took great pains to avoid mortal sin entirely, and 
venial sin as much as possible; for the latter weakens 
charity and makes good works for the Suffering Souls 
less efficient. The more he considered the benefits of 
this act, the more he prayed and labored; for whoso¬ 
ever makes this act finds it an incentive to greater 
zeal in prayer and in the performance of good works 
of all kinds. By this means he attained for his soul a 
greater degree of glory. Now he only regrets that he 
did not know the value of this exercise better: how 
much greater zeal he would have exhibited!—Oh, 
that we would earnestly reflect on this, how differently 
we would make use of our precious time! — How 
we would pray, fast and give alms! How greatly we 
would prize Holy Mass, confession and communion ! 
—If we did but reflect on this truth, we could not be 
so slothful. “With desolation is all the land made 
desolate ; because there is none that considereth in his 
heart.” (Jerem. xii. ii.) 


The Heroic Act of Charity for the Suffering Souls. 493 

526. Only now does this soul receive a true con¬ 
ception of that great power at the throne of God, the 
intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, by which it 
was protected and assisted in its last moments on 
earth.—It is related in the life of St. Bridget that she 
most fervently invoked the assistance of the Blessed 
Virgin for her dying son. From a revelation she learned 
that before his death, through Mary’s intercession, he 
had been filled with a love of God so ardent that his 
soul went straight to heaven; also, that the Blessed 
Virgin had hastened his death, to rescue him from the 
attacks with which satan had intended to assault him 
in his last moments. — Now this Blessed Mother* 
hastens to receive the soul with outstretched arms, as 
St. Jerome declares : “Mary does not only assist her 
devout clients at the moment of death, but she also 
meets them on their way to heaven, to encourage 
them.’’—St. Vincent Ferrerius also says, “The Blessed 
Virgin receives the souls of the dying.’’ 

527. Mary thus addresses the soul of her client: 
“Come, my servant! Thou hast so often invoked me 
to aid the most forsaken souls in Purgatory ; thy whole 
life was devoted to this purpose. I accepted thy 
suffrages and united them with my own intercession ; 
and we were both heard. And because thou didst 
leave to me the choice of the souls to be released, I 
took thee under my protection and shielded thee from 
divine justice. By my intercession thou wast declared 
free from all puni.shment as a reward for thy con¬ 
fiding tru.st in the merciful Mother of the just Judge. 
Come, my servant, receive thy heavenly robe and take 
possession of the eternal mansions of my Son, where I 
reign as Queen. As a heroic child of thy heavenly 


494 


Chapter VI. 


Mother thy place shall be at my side.”—Only now 
does he receive full knowledge of Mary’s clemency and 
mercy. He never expected such a reward for services 
so insignificant. Now he comprehends what St. 
Bonaventure declares : “Oh, happy those who obtain 
Mary’s favor; the Blessed in heaven already regard 
them as their associates. For he that is known to be 
a client of Mary is inscribed in the book of life.” 

528. The soul of this Christian, after being clothed 
with the robes of immortal glory, remembers that a 
dear friend of his is still suffering in Purgatory; and 
he almost regrets that he did not give everything to 
that soul for the purpose of releasing it from its tor¬ 
ments. But Mary remarks, “O my son, do not grieve ! 
I know very well thy desire ; but I also know thy 
duty towards thy relatives and friends, imposed on 
thee by my Divine Son. My Son’s will is also mine. 
As thou didst place thy atonements into my hands, I 
was careful to serve thee well. I had regard for thy 
relatives, friends and benefactors in the order in which 
thou wast beholden to them before God. Thou 
couldst never have made a just distribution. How 
soon didst thou cease praying for thy deceased Father 
confessor, because thou thoughtst him no longer in 
need of intercession. The same was the case with 
regard to thy father, mother, etc. Thou didst think 
only of thy friend; but in order not to act unjustly 
and partially, thou didst leave the distribution of thy 
atonements to me. And therein thou hast acted wisely; 
and thou hast doubled the atoning value of thy works. 
Behold, all those whom thou hast aided shall come 
with their guardian angels and holy patrons to greet 
thee.” 


The Heroic Act of Charity for the Suffering Souls. 495 

529. Scarcely has Mary ceased speaking, when 
the friends and relatives—and they seem to be thou¬ 
sands in number—appear in the company of their 
guardian angels and patron saints, for the purpose of 
conducting the soul to its place in heaven.—Can it 
therefore be contrary to the love we owe to ourselves 
to make the heroic act of charity? Would it not 
rather be against this love not to make it ? To cede 
all our works of atonement and all our indulgences to 
the souls in Purgatory is therefore a devotion that 
perfectly and most beautifully accords with the honor 
of God, with the interests of Jesus, and with the love 
of ourselves ; a devotion that embraces the Church 
triumphant, militant and suffering. What a joy for 
the soul of this heroic Christian to see the great 
number of heavenly friends gained by this act of 
charity ! ‘Experience now proves that the performing 
of this act has been to his own interest. 

530. Among the souls coming to meet him are 
those of his parents. His guardian angel now reminds 
him that he had ceased praying for them to soon ; but 
that in virtue of the heroic act of charity this 
deficiency was more than made good again. Parents 
and child now embrace each other; they thank God 
for His great clemency and mercy towards them: 
“Praise, thanks and glory for evermore to the Most 
Holy Trinity; to the Holy Family, Jesus, Mary and 
Joseph. Thanks also, and God’s grace and blessing 
to those who make this heroic act of charity, and 
thereby offer their meritorious works for the greater 
glory of God.” All the souls, together with their 
angels and patrons, join with their benefactor in this 
act of homage; and as a token of gratitude for his 


496 


Chapter VI. 


generosity every soul presents to him a gift, after 
which they lead him to the place prepared for him in 
heaven. Arrived there, he now comprehends very 
clearly how instead of losing he gained immensely 
by the heroic act of charity ; for by renouncing his 
atoning merits he gained the special love of the Most 
Holy Trinity, of the Blessed Virgin Mary and of all 
the saints; and now he also begins to experience the 
fulfilment of the words of Christ, “Good measure and 
pressed down, and shaken together and running over 
they shall give unto your bosom.” (Luke vi. 38.) 
His gratitude to God is boundless; and in his grati¬ 
tude he immediately addresses to God a petition—he 
implores mercy for the Suffering Souls. The dawn of 
a blissful eternity has arrived for this Christian : he 
enjoys the beatific vision of God ; but he also sees the 
torments of the souls in Purgatory, sees their tears 
and hears their sighs. He sees also the doings of men 
on earth. And the more he contemplates the infinite 
greatness of God, the better he understands the cause 
of that yearning with which the Holy Souls are filled; 
the more he is convinced of the neglect shown towards 
them on earth. A holy sorrow pervades him who 
had been so charitable in mortal life; his desire to 
help the Suffering Souls draws him, together with all 
the saints and heavenly spirits, to the throne of the 
Just Judge, there to offer his most fervent intercession. 
“O God of mercy,” thus he pra^^s, “it was Thy holy 
will to call me to Thy heavenly mansions. If Thou 
hadst willed, or at least hadst given me the choice, to 
suffer for Thy loving spouses in Purgatory, I should 
gladly have led the most abject and miserable life. 
Willingly would I descend into Purgatorj^ even now 


The Heroic Act of Charity for the Suffering Souls. 497 


to suffer there to the end of the world. Blit as Thou 
hast ordained otherwise, I adore and praise Thy holy 
will. But deign, O most benign God, to move the 
hearts of the faithful on earth to this work of charity. 
Raise up loving hearts, hearts ready to follow the ex¬ 
ample of Thy disinterested love ! Move to charity 
many self-sacrificing hearts, that they may place at Thy 
disposal the entire treasury of their atoning merits in 
favor of the Suffering Souls in Purgatory ! There are 
many zealous Christians on earth. Inspire some of 
them with holy ardor that they may make known to the 
world the salutary effects of the heroic act of charity 
for the Suffering Souls !”—And may you, good reader, 
so please God, belong to the number of those who are 
thus aroused! 

§ 65. Indulgences and Privileges of the Heroic 
’ Act of Charity. 

531. The Heroic Act of Charity for the Suffering 
Souls, as was remarked before, consists in the offering 
up to God, by the hands of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 
of all the meritorious acts of our whole life, together 
with the w^orks of atonement offered up for us after 
our death, for the relief and ransom of .the souls in 
Purgatory. This pious practice owes its origin to a 
religious of the Theatine Order, Father Caspar Oliden. 
He devoted his life to its propagation ; and on the 23d 
of August, 1728, he received for it the formal approval 
of Pope Benedict XHI. Cater it was confirmed by 
Pius VI., 1788, and by Pius IX., 1852 and 1854. 

532. The last decree of approval, issued by the 

S. Congregation of Indulgences on the 20th of No- 

33* 




498 


Chapter VI. 


vember, 1854, contains also a summary of the indul¬ 
gences granted to this Act; and this is as follows: 

“Whereas ‘it is a holy and wholesome thought to 
pray for the dead that they may be loosed from sins,’ 
the apostolic charity of the Roman Pontiffs never 
ceased to apply means, whereby the children of the 
Church militant might be enkindled with greater zeal 
for the benefit of the dead; for which purpose they 
have taken indulgences almost without number from 
the treasury of the Church, indulgences that are made 
applicable to the souls suffering in the expiatory 
flames of Purgatory, and which were granted for the 
recitation of certain prayers, and for the performance 
of certain good works, in order that the souls for 
which they are applied may be released more speedily 
from their punishment, and may the sooner join the 
Blessed in the city of God, To aid these souls more 
effectively, Father Caspar Oliden, Priest of the Thea- 
tine Order, at tjie time of our Predecessor Benedict 
XIII., of happy memory, introduced, or at least propa¬ 
gated a pious practice, by which the faithful who 
pledged themselves to it, dedicate and cede to the 
souls of the faithful departed, in special charity, all 
the good works performed by themselves during their 
whole life-time, and all those performed for them after 
their death. The aforesaid Pontiff, Benedict XIII., 
granted to all who pledged themselves to this work, 
special indulgences, which were later confirmed at the 
instance of the above mentioned Theatines, by author¬ 
ity of Pope Pius VI., on the 12th of December, 1788, 
and which our Most Holy Father, Pius IX., on the 
30th of September, 1852, not only again confirmed, at 
the instance of many priests, but also deigned to specify 
as follows: 


The Heroic Act of Charity for the Suffering Souls. 499 

1) The priests who make this votive pledge or 
promise, enjoy the privilege of the altar on all days of 
the year. 

2) The faithful who do the same may gain a ple¬ 
nary indulgence applicable to the souls in Purgatory, 
a) on every day they receive holy communion ; b) on 
every Monday of the year, if they assist at Mass for 
the relief of the Suffering Souls, provided that in both 
cases they visit a church or public oratory, and there 
pray for some time for the intention of the Holy 
Father. 

(N.B. I. It is sufficient to say for instance five Our 
P'athers and Hail Marys.—N.B. 2. Priests gain the in¬ 
dulgence only a) when they receive the communion 
?nore laicorum ; b) when they assist at Mass.) 

3) In like manner the faithful may apply to the 
Suffering Souls each and every indulgence hitherto 
granted, or to be granted in future. 

4) That the Suffering Souls may receive effective 
relief, this indult is to be considered as extended to all 
the faithful in the whole world, that have made this 
votive promise or pledge. 

Moreover, His Holiness, taking into consideration 
the condition of children who have not yet been ad¬ 
mitted to their first communion, of the sick, the aged, 
prisoners, farmers and other faithful who are prevented 
from approaching the holy table, or of assisting at 
Mass on Mondays, ‘ ordained in parental solicitude 
for all Christians thus legitimately impeded, as fol¬ 
lows : 

a) That the Holy Mass at which they are bound 
by precept of the Church to assist on Sundays, shall 
suffice to gain the indulgence for the Mondays. 


500 


Chapter VI. 


b) At the same time His Holiness permitted the 
Ordinaries of dioceses to appoint from among ap¬ 
proved confessors those whom they delegate to change 
into other pious works, if they deem proper, the obli¬ 
gation of receiving communion for all those who are 
not yet admitted to it, or who are legitimately impeded 
from receiving it. 

Given at Rome, November 20th, 1854. 

Cardinal Asquini, Prefect. 

533. Cater, when serious doubts arose concerning 
the practice and the essential conditions of the indul¬ 
gences and privileges, the S. Congregation of Indul¬ 
gences, on the 18th of December, 1885, issued a de¬ 
cree which was approved by Pope Leo XIII. on the 
following day. Said decree reads as follows: 

1) To the works of atonement offered for the re¬ 
lief of the Suffering Souls by the heroic act of charity 
must also be reckoned the indulgences declared by 
the Popes as applicable to the Suffering Souls. 

2) Those who reserve for themselves the indul¬ 
gences granted for the living do not satisfy the obliga¬ 
tion entered into by this act. These indulgences 
too must be applied to the faithful departed in con¬ 
formity with the indult. 

3) It is not an essential condition, but solely a 
pious practice, to place the good works and indul¬ 
gences at the disposal of the Blessed Virgin l^Iary 
in favor of the Suffering Souls. 

4) Hence the plenary indulgences granted for 
holy communion and for assisting at Mass on Mon¬ 
days must not necessarily be offered to the Blessed 
Virgin for those souls whom she desires to release in 
particular, but they can be applied at will to any soul. 


The Heroic Act of Charity for the Suffering Souls. 501 

5) The plenary indulgences granted to priests in 
virtue of the heroic act of charity and in consequence 
of the privilege of the altar must be applied to the soul 
for whom the Mass is celebrated; for the privilege is 
granted in this sense. {Act. S. Sedis, xviii, 3317. 

534. Christian soul! You have now been fully 
instructed concerning the heroic act of charity, this 
most beautiful offering of Christian charity for the 
Suffering Souls, this crown of all devotions for their 
relief and ransom. Remember well: to gain all the 
above mentioned indulgences and privileges, it is suf¬ 
ficient to make the act merely by an interior expres¬ 
sion of the will. Although it is not necessary to re¬ 
new the act in order to gain the indulgences (provided 
we have not revoked the act, in which case the re¬ 
newal of it would be necessary), yet it is most com¬ 
mendable to do so often, either by a certain formula of 
prayer, or at least when making the daily good .inten¬ 
tion.—As was explained before, we cede by this act 
only that fruit of our good works, which is our partic¬ 
ular and personal gain, so that priests are not pre¬ 
vented thereby from celebrating Mass for the intention 
for which they have accepted a ^stipend. Nor does 
this act prevent us from praying for ourselves, our 
parents, etc., or from performing our usual pious exer¬ 
cises; for only the atoning value of all these good 
works is ceded in favor of the Suffering Souls. 

535. You have learned from the contents of these 
treatises the terrible torments of the Suffering Souls, 
their ardent yearning to be united with their God and 
Savior, comparable to a consuming thirst which they 
are unable to quench. It is in your power, Christian 
soul, by the heroic act of charity not only to refresh 


502 


Chapter VI. 


them, but to pour out the full stream of the Most Pre¬ 
cious Blood of our Redeemer on the flames in which 
they are suffering, and thereby to bring ineffable relief 
to these poor victims of Divine Justice. Remember : 
all your prayers and sufferings, every good action you 
perform is for their relief. If you do penance, you do 
it for them ; if you weep, your tears are for their con¬ 
solation, a refreshing dew for them iir the expiating 
flames ; your compassion comforts them. Remember 
the indulgences: by the heroic act all the indulgences 
ever granted and to be granted by the Church are 
applicable to the Suffering Souls. Otherwise only 
those specially designated may be applied to them.— 
Considering all this, will you refuse to join with the . 
millions of Christians who belong to this army of ^ 
intercessors for the Holy Souls?—Renew therefore j 
this salutary act, devoutly saying: i 

O Heavenly Father ! In union with the merits of 1 
Jesus and Mary I offer to Thee for the Suffering Souls | 
in Purgatory all the satisfactory works of my whole i 

I 

life, as also those works that will be offered for me 
after my death. I deliver these works into the most 
pure hands of the Jmmaculate Virgin Mary, that she 
may distribute them amongst those souls whom she in 
her wisdom and maternal love desires to release first ' 
from Purgatory. Graciously accept, O Lord, this offer- ' 
ing, and in return let me daily increase in Thy grace! • 

Through Christ our Lord. Amen ! i 



Apparitio7is of a Suffering Soul in 1870. 


503 


CHAPTER VII. 

Apparitions of a Suffering Soul in 1870. 


536. In conclusion of these treatises on Purgatory 
we append the following description of the appartions 
of a soul from Purgatory, which occurred in the year 
1870, and were published first in 1872 by the Rev. G. 
M. Curique, priest of the diocese of Metz, with the 
approbation of his Ordinary. The authenticity of 
these apparitions is established beyond doubt, and the 
account thereof may serve to confirm many of the 
theories advanced in this book. 

Sister Mary Seraphine, member of a religious com¬ 
munity in Malines, Belgium, was suddenly attacked, 
in 1870, by a great spiritual depression. She was at 
a loss to what cause to ascribe this melancholy, which 
with her was quite a new experience; and she did her 
utmost to overcome it. Formerly of a social, cheerful 
disposition, she had become silent and morose ; and 
despite all her efforts she could not shake off the 
burden that oppressed her mind. It seemed to her 
that she was continually haunted by some invisible 
shadow which followed her everywhere, to the choir, 
refectory, etc., never permitting her to rest by day or 
night. She often felt this invisible power pulling at 
her scapular—a burden “like a leaden weight,” she 
remarked, was pressing her right shoulder. She 
acquainted her Superioress and the mistress of novices 



504 


Chapter VII. 


with all these occurrences. Finally, on the 29th of ; 
July a letter arrived from France informing her that \ 
on the 17th her father had died. This explained all. | 

537. Thenceforth, while the Sister’s depression 

continued, she often heard moanings and exclamations 
like those by which her father had been wont to relieve 
himself when suffering. She also continually heard a : 
voice saying distinctly, “Dear daughter, have mercy 
on me, have mercy on me !” On the 4th of October ' 
her pains w^ere increased; she now had to suffer also 
from an excruciating headache. On the evening of 
the 14th, when the Sister had retired to bed in the 
dormitory of the novitiate, and was just about to fall < 
asleep, she suddenly saw her father between the wall 
and the bed. He looked very sorrowful and was en- i 
veloped in flames. She was so affected at the sight 
that she called loudly for help. It seemed to her that * 
the flames were scorching her, too. ; 

538. Next evening, on the 15th, and at the same i 
hour, the Sister was kneeling at her bed-side saying 
the Salve Regina before retiring, when she again saw 
her father in the same place and condition. From 
that time on till his deliverance she saw him every 
evening. On this second occasion she thought that 
perhaps her father was suffering for some act of 
injustice committed in business. But answ^ering her 
unexpressed thought, he said, “No, I am not guilty of 
any injustice; I suffer for my continual impatience, 
and for other faults which I cannot mention.” 

She then inquired whether he had received no 
relief from the many Masses that his family had ordered 
to be celebrated for him. “O yes,” he replied ; “my ' 
soul is soothed every morning by a refreshing dew. 



Apparitions of a Suffering Soul in 1870 . 


But that is not sufficient. I am in need of the Sta¬ 
tions of the Cross.” 

When the Sister was asked what she felt during 
the apparitions, she replied, “I feel as if I heard a 
certain rustling near me, and then I suddenly see my 
father. ' His aspect facinates me, so that I forget where 
I am. I see and hear only him.” 

The mistress of novices often found her kneeling at 
her bed-side, with hands folded and eyes open, and so 
oblivious of all around her, that nothing could engage 
her attention. 

539. On the i6th of October the soul appeared 
again. The Sister had been instructed to say, “All 
good spirits praise the Lord !” As she received no 
reply she thought it was an evil spirit. But reading 
her thoughts, her father replied, “No, no. I ani not 
a devil!”—She answered, “Then say with me,‘Praise be 
to Jesus Christ and Mary !’ ” He repeated this ejacu¬ 
lation twice, and then added the words of the Gospel 
of St. John, “A/ Verbum caro factum est! And the 
Word was made flesh.” Then he continued, “Alas, 
alas, I am over six years in Purgatory, and you have 
no compassion for me!” “Poor father,” the Sister 
replied, “how can you speak thus, when it is scarcely 
three months since you died?”—“Oh, you do not know 
what eternity is ! The soul, once having seen God, is 
consumed with an ardent desire of remaining in His 
presence. I am sentenced to Purgatory for six 
months ; but if your community would pray persever- 
ingly for me, my punishment would be reduced by 
one half. God has permitted me to implore you con¬ 
tinually for my release.—How senseless I was to have 
opposed your vocation. Now I am relieved only in 


506 


Chapter VII, 


your presence. The rest of my children think I am 
in heaven, and scarcely one of them now and then 
says a De profundis for me. Poor Joanna (an old 
servant) alone continues to pray for me and thereby 
helps me.” 

This was really so. His children thought' he was 
in heaven, and expressed themselves thus in a letter 
to the Sister : “Father died like a saint, and is now 
in heaven.”—How often we are in a like delusion con¬ 
cerning the fate of our dear ones! 

“Poor father,” the Sister replied, “I am entirely at 
your service. You may trouble me at will, if only 
the rest of the community are not disturbed. I will 
have many prayers said for you. Tell me what you 
particularly desire.” He replied, “I wish that ten 
Masses be celebrated, and that the Stations of the 
Cross be visited for me often.” The Sister asked him 
whether her mother was still in Purgatory. “No; on 
entering eternity I was informed that she went straight 
to heaven after her death. You sacrificed your health 
by nursing her in her last illness, and now I come to 
trouble you for my deliverance.” 

540. On the 17th her father appeared to her in 
great sorrow, but without flames, and complained that 
he had been less refreshed on the previous day. “Dear 
father, do you not know that the Sisters cannot pray 
all day? According to our rule we must devote part 
of our time to our various tasks and labors.”—“I do 
not expect that they pray continually, but they might 
direct their intentions to my release. Every work, 
even the, least, performed in the state of grace and 
offered to God, is meritorious and of atoning value, 
and serves to lessen our punishment. If the Sisters 


Apparitions of a Suffering Soul in 1870. 


507 


do not come to my aid, I shall continue to trouble 
you, for the Lord has given me permission. My dear 
daughter, remember the sacrifice you made on the day 
of your investment; now you 'must bear the conse¬ 
quences. Behold the fiery cistern in which I am con¬ 
fined. There are several hundreds of us in it.—Oh, 
if people would but know what Purgatory is ! They 
would then suffer everything in order to escape it and 
to release the Poor Souls confined in it. You must 
become a holy religious; you must faithfully observe 
all the rules, even those that may seem to be imma¬ 
terial. The Purgatory of religious is terrible.” 

The Sister really saw a fiery cistern from which 
dense clouds of smoke arose. She said, “The im¬ 
pression it made on me is indelibly inscribed on my 
memory.”—Her father showed her his parched tongue, 
saying, “I thirst! I thirst I” 

541. The next time he said, “It is long since I came 
to you.”—“Poor father,” she replied, “you were here 
last evening.”—“If I shall have to remain in Purgatory 
three months more it will seem an eternity. At first I 
was sentenced to Purgatory for many years ; and I 
owe it to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin that 
my time was reduced to a few months.” 

“This grace to come and ask me for aid,” the Sister 
explained to the community, “was granted to my 
father in reward for his good works. Moreover he was 
a devout client of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in whose 
honor he received the sacraments on all her feasts. 
He was also very charitable; he spared no trouble 
when there was question of assisting the unfortunate. 
He even begged from door to door to assist in estab¬ 
lishing a home for the Little Sisters of the Poor. 


508 


Chapter VII. 


542. Sometimes the Sister asked her father ques¬ 
tions which he was not permitted to answer. One 
evening she gave him her hand and a book, the “Imi¬ 
tation of Christ,” saying, “You see me so perplexed, 
dear father, because I am always afraid of delusion, 
thinking these apparitions every evening might be 
productions of the imagination. Therefore leave the 
imprint of your hand on mine or on this book, so that 
I may know that it is really you whom I see.”—“No,” 
he replied, “I will not do it. The pain you feel is ac¬ 
cording to the will of God, and your uncertainty is to 
hasten my deliverance.” 

Cater he nevertheless twice touched her, once on 
the right shoulder, and the next time over her heart, 
causing intense pain. But strange to say, though no 
indication appeared on her habit, her skin on both 
places had a black spot, as she modestly informed her 
confessor. 

543. To her great consolation the Sister received 
full confirmation of the reality of these apparitions in 
the following manner: One evening a religious of the 
community suffered terribly from toothache, and 
Sister Seraphine suggested to her to pray for her 
father and in return to ask him to obtain relief for 
her. Scarcely had the Sister done so, when her pain 
vanished and she slept peacefully. 

544. On the 30th of October, by command of her 
confessor, she asked her father what prayers would be 
most appropriate to be said on All Souls’day. -He 
replied, “Alas, the world does not believe that the fire 
of Purgatory is similar to that of hell. If a person 
could but once visit Purgatory, he would nevermore 
commit the least sin, so rigorously are the souls pun- 


Apparitions of a Suffering Soul in 1870. 509 

ished.” Another time she asked him if he had been 
released from the cistern, as she had not seen him in it 
the last three days. “Oh, no,” he answered ; “see the 
proof!” And immediately she beheld the cistern, 
dense clouds of smoke and flames of fire ascending 
from it. And sorrowfully the poor man exclaimed, 
“To-day we all w^ere greatly relieved, and a great 
number of souls was admitted to heaven.” 

545. About the same time he appeared to another 
Sister, who was greatly troubled because her father 
had died without the sacraments after long neglecting 
his religious duties. He said to her, “Your father is 
saved ; but he is sentenced to suffer in Purgator}'' for 
twenty years; for your consolation, however, I am 
permitted to inform you, that your sister N. was re¬ 
leased from the flames a short time ago, and is now in 
heaven.” The girl referred to had died sixteen years 
before, when she was only eight years old; and yet 
she had to suffer so long in Purgatory. Concerning 
the salvation of her father, the Sister ascribed it right¬ 
ly to his great charity towards the poor to whom he 
had always been most liberal, and to the persevering 
prayer of his wife and children. 

Sister Seraphine asked her father to appear again 
to this Sister, and to inform her concerning the state 
of her father ; but he gave no answer. Nevertheless 
the Sister soon received full knowledge of it in some 
other way. 

546. Sister Seraphine also questioned her father 
concerning other souls. For instance she asked him 
one day about the state of a Sister to whom she had 
been greatly attached. “She is in heaven already for 
some time,” he replied. Then she inquired whether 


olO 


Chapter VII. 


any Sisters of her community were at present in Pur¬ 
gatory ; but he confessed that he was not permitted to 
. answer.—“Do the souls in Purgatory know who prays 
for them, and are they permitted to pray for the faith¬ 
ful on earth ?” He answered in the affirmative. “Do 

the souls also suffer for.?” and she mentioned 

some faults of daily occurrence. “Yes,” he replied, 
“they are punished for them.” He then related to her 
that on leaving this world he had seen the infinite 
majesty of God, the sacred humanity of Jesus Christ, 
the Blessed Virgin Mary, and that this vision had left 
in him a continually increasing and most ardent 
yearning to see them again. He also told her that St. 
Joseph was present at his judgment, and that he had 
since repeatedly visited Purgatory in company with 
the Blessed Virgin to console him ; also, that he often 
saw his guardian angel who came to comfort him. 

547. On the 23d of November the Sister saw her 
father as usual; but this time he seemed closer to her, 
and her own suffering was thereby greatly increased. 
She felt as if she were all on fire. He informed her 
that if the community persevered in prayer as hither¬ 
to, he would be released during the Christmas holy- 
days.—We must here observe that he was aware of 
the most secret suffrages offered for the Suffering 
Souls, and immediately felt their beneficial effect. For 
example he saw all the pious exercises one of the Sisters 
had performed for him during her retreat; and he de¬ 
clared that she had aided him greatly by her zeal and 
heroic charity. 

Always obeying the directions of her confessor and 
of her Superioress, Sister Seraphine asked her father 
whether it was true that the torments of Purgatory 



Apparitions of a Sufferi7ig Soul in 1S70. 


511 


surpassed in their intensity the sufferings of the mar¬ 
tyrs. “It is but too true,” was his reply. Then she 
inquired whether all members of the Confraternity of 
Our Lady of Mount Carmel that wore the scapular 
are released from Purgatory on the first Saturday after 
their death. “Yes,” he replied, “if they have faith¬ 
fully fulfilled all the conditions.” To the question, 
“Is it true that some souls must remain in Purgatory 
for fifty years?” he answered, “Yes; and there are 
souls that are sentenced to atone in it till the end of 
the world. These souls are the ones most tormented 
and the most forsaken.” 

548. On the 30th of November he said to his 
daughter, “It seems an eternity to me since I arrived 
in Purgatory. At present my greatest torment is the 
intense longing to behold God and to enjoy His pos¬ 
session. I feel continually elevated towards Him and 
am at the same time repulsed and cast into the abyss. 
Sometimes I am on the edge of the cistern seemingly 
about to be released from it, when I immediately feel 
divine justice detaining me because I have not sufii- 
ciently atoned.” 

For two weeks the Sister had not seen the cistern. 
She now implored her father again, as he had done re¬ 
peatedly before, to obtain for her the grace of perse¬ 
verance amid so many interior and external sufferings. 
“I have already prayed for you,” he replied, “and I 
shall continue to pray for you, my dear daughter. 
But you will have to suffer still more before I am re¬ 
leased.” 

549. On the 3d of December she saw him again. 
Still sorrowful, he nevertheless appeared greatly re¬ 
lieved. He described to her the intense love of God 


512 


Chapter VIL 


that he felt and the increasing desire of beholding 
Him. Some time before she had asked him to repeat 
to her some of the acts of love which the souls in Pur¬ 
gatory made. He had not complied with her request 
then, but now he said, “I continually make these 

three acts of love: “O my God, grant me the love 

* 

with which the Seraphim are enflamed ! O my God, 
grant me still more : grant me the love which inflames 
the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary! 
O my God, why can I not love Thee as Thou lovest 
Thyself?” Then he assured her that he implored for 
her the love of the Seraphim, adding, “Dear daughter, 
I am permitted to inform you, that though you are 
very weak—you will nevertheless have to suffer great 
pain between now and Christmas, on which day I shall 
be released.” — “And then, dear father, what then? 
Shall I regain my strength, so as to be able to serve 
God according to our holy rule?”—“That is a mys¬ 
tery not revealed by God,” he replied. 

550. Thenceforth, from the 3d of December till 
the evening of the 12th, the apparitions ceased. On 
the 12th and the two following evenings he appeared 
again, brighter every time. From the 14th to the 25th 
he came no more. Meanwhile the good Sister suf¬ 
fered so intensely that she was scarcely able to visit 
the chapel. Nevertheless on Christmas night she 
succeeded in her effort to assist at the Midnight Mass, 
which she ascribed to the assistance obtained for her 
by her father, from whom she expected to receive the 
announcement of his deliverance on that blessed night. 
And so it happened. Between the first and second 
elevation of the sacred species, he appeared to her in 
supernal splendor and said, “My punishment is ended. 


Apparitions of a Suffer mg Soul in 1870. 513 

I come to thank you and your community for all the 
prayers said for me. Henceforth I shall pray for 
you all.” 

On her return to her room he appeared to her 
again for the last time to convince her of his release; 
and again he thanked her. She implored him to ob¬ 
tain for her sufficient strength and health to observe 
the rule. "I will ask for you perfect resignation to 
the will of God, and the grace of entering heaven 
without having to suffer Purgatory.” Then he van¬ 
ished to appear no more. During this last apparition 
he was so resplendent that her eyes could scarcely 
bear the dazzling light. Her joy and happiness were 
now supreme. She felt an ineffable peace of soul, and 
she was glad to have the assurance that she had not 
been the victim of an illusion. 

551. Thenceforth Sister Seraphine was affected 
with an illness scarcely known to our age—with home¬ 
sickness for heaven. Her father’s yearning desire for 
the possession of God seemed to have been bequeathed 
to her. She became a victim of consumption ; and 
after six months of intense suffering, borne with a 
martyr’s fortitude, her pure soul was called to its 
eternal reward. She died on Friday, June 23d, the 
octave of the feast of the Sacred Heart, at the early 
age of twenty-eight. 


34 * 


















i ( 


The Blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin 

1 . John, i., 7 . 




























APPENDIX I. 


(516) 








The Archeonfraternity 

OF THE 

Most Precious Blood of Our 
Lord Jesus Christ, 

FOR THE 

RELIEF AND RANSOM 

OF THE 

Suffering Souls in Purgatory. 


CANONICALLY ESTABLISHED IN THE 


CHAPEL OF ST. JOSEPH’S COLLEGE, 


COLLEGEVILLE, iND. 


( 517 ) 






I. The Areheonfraternity of the Most Precious Blood. 

I. By the French revolution and the subsequent 
wars of conquest a vast amount of temporal and spir¬ 
itual misery had been engendered in Europe, and 
especially in Italy. At the sight of so many and great 
evils a devout priest, Francis Albertini, who in 1819 
died in the fame of sanctity as bishop of Terracina 
in Italy, felt himself strongly urged to do something 
towards their abatement. Besides he was solicitous 
for the salvation of so many immortal souls, every 
one of which was ransomed at the infinite price of the 
Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ. Accordingly he 
founded at the church of St. Nicholas in Car cere in 
Rome an association whose members should aim to 
remember often the sacred Passion of our Lord. This 
was in the beginning of the nineteenth century. The 
members of the association should offer to the Divine 
Father the Most Precious Blood of Jesus for the fol¬ 
lowing intentions: i) For the remission of their own 
sins; 2) for the needs of the Church; 3) for the con¬ 
version of sinners; 4) for the relief of the Suffering 
Souls in Purgatory. 

Pope Pius VII., himself a most devout adorer of 
the Most Precious Blood, in 1815 raised this associa¬ 
tion to the rank of an archconfraternity, to which he 
granted a great number of indulgences. These latter 
were confirmed and largely increased on the 19th of 
September, 1850, and the 30th of September, 1852, by 
Pope Pius IX. On the 4th of July, 1878, the S. Con¬ 
gregation of Indulgences again confirmed them, with 
the approval of His Holiness, Pope Leo XIII. 

(519) 


520 The Archconfraternity of the Most Precious Blood. 


The Venerable Caspar del Buffalo, the founder of 
the Missionary Congregation of the Most Precious 
Blood, was a great promoter of the devotion to the 
Most Precious Blood of our Lord, a devotion espe¬ 
cially suitable for priests, who daily receive it in Holy 
Mass, and who devote their lives to apply its merits 
for the salvation of souls. 

2. To become a member of this Archconfraternity 
and to share in its indulgences and privileges, nothing 
more is necessary than to be inscribed by a priest 
properly delegated for this purpose. A special prayer 
is not prescribed; let the members fervently adore the 
Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ in spirit and in 
truth, and offer it up for the purposes mentioned above. 
They are also recommended to say every day, or at 
least very often, the prayer of the Seven Offerings of 
the Precious Blood, and the ejaculation, “Eternal 
Father”, etc. (See Appendix II.) 

3. The members join the angels surrounding the 
altar of God to receive into golden vessels the Most 
Precious Blood of Jesus Christ, to pour it out as a 
refreshing dew on the souls in Purgatory. Ever}^ 
moment souls are cleansed by its atoning application 
and soar up to the mansions of eternal bliss. 

In order to attain its object still more effectually, 
this Archconfraternity united with the Archconfrater¬ 
nity for the Relief of the Souls in Purgatory, estab¬ 
lished in the Redemptorist church of 5 . Maria m Mon- 
tero 7 te in Rome under the title of the Assumption of 
the Blessed Virgin Mary. This Archconfraternity was 
established for the purpose of offering up continually 
good works and sacrifices for the Suffering Souls in 
Purgatory. It was approved by Pope Gregory XVI., 


The Archconfraternity of the Most Precious Blood. 521 

who also endowed it with many indulgences and privi¬ 
leges. (January 19th and May 4th, 1841.) On the 
18th of June of the same year he raised it to the rank 
of an archconfraternity, with the privilege of aggre¬ 
gating to itself other confraternities of the same name 
and object, and to share with them its privileges and 
indulgences, provided the conditions prescribed by 
Pope Clement VIII. be observ^ed. 

Pope Pius IX., by decree of August 23d, 1861, 
granted the following privileges to the Moderator 
General of this Archconfraternity: 

a) With the approbation of the Ordinary to affi¬ 
liate confraternities even in places where one is 
already canonically established under the same title 
for the relief of the Suffering Souls, without regard to 
the distance otherwise prescribed for confraternities of 
the same title. 

h) To affiliate with the Archconfraternity not only 
every confraternity whose purpose is the relief of the 
Suffering Souls, and which therefore has the same or 
a similar name and object; but also every other 
canonically established confraternity of a totally dif¬ 
ferent name and object, provided it adds to its title the 
words “for the relief of the Suffering Souls”, by which 
affiliation it will share the indulgences and privileges 
of the Archconfraternity; and provided also, that the 
conditions prescribed by Pope Clement VIII. be ob¬ 
served. (Hence no confraternity is to be aggregated 
which is already affiliated to some other archcon¬ 
fraternity.) 

c) To subdelegate priests everywhere in places 
where this Archconfraternity is not canonically estab¬ 
lished, and to grant them the personal faculty of ad- 


522 The Archco7ifraterniiy of the Most Precious Blood. 

mitting the faithful to membership, with the obliga¬ 
tion however of sending the names of those admitted 
from time to time to the general register either of the 
Archconfraternity of 5 '. Maria in Mo^iterone., Rome, or 
to some aggregated confraternity of the same title. 

4. Those desiring to become members of this 
Archconfraternity must have their baptismal and 
family name inscribed on the register by one of the 
directors, or by a priest delegated for this purpose. 

The members are exhorted, without however 
incurring the least obligation, either to have a Mass 
celebrated once a year for all the souls in Purgatory, 
or for the souls of the deceased members of the Arch¬ 
confraternity. Or if they cannot do this, they ought 
to assist at Mass once a year, or receive the sacraments, 
or say the rosary of five decades, or visit the Stations 
of the Cross for this intention. They are also exhorted 
to offer up other good works and prayers, to gain 
indulgences, etc., for the Suffering Souls, and to unite 
all these pious suffrages with the prayer, Masses, and 
good works of the other members, and particularly 
with those of religious Orders and Congregations. 

5. The directors of the affiliated confraternities, 
and the priests subdelegated to inscribe members shall 
be zealously intent on propagating the Archcon- 
fraternity among the faithful; and they shall exhort 
the people, whenever opportunity offers, to assist the 
Suffering Souls. 

Branch confraternities may be established (canoni¬ 
cally by the Ordinaries) in all churches and public 
chapels for all the faithful, and may then be aggregated 
to the Archconfraternity. Bishops may also permit 
them to be established in the churches and oratories 


Indulgences and Privileges of the Archconfraternity. 523 


of nuns, and then have them aggregated ; not for the 
faithful in general however, but only for the nuns and 
inmates of the convent, pupils, servants, etc. These 
all remain members of the Archconfraternity, even if 
they leave the convent or institute. 


Indulgences and Privileges of the Arch= 

confraternity 

Oft,. Mo.t Precious Biood ; 

For the Relief and Ransom of the Suffering Souls. 

{Rescripta authentica, ii. 49.) 


I. PI.ENARY 

1. On the day of admission. 
Condition: Confession, com¬ 
munion, and prayer for the 
intention of the Pope. 

2. Once a month, on any day 
whatsoever. Condition: Con¬ 
fession, communion and prayer 
as above in some church or 
public oratory ; or in case of 
impossibility, the performance 
of some other good work im¬ 
posed by the confessor. 

3. On every day when, after 
receiving the holy sacraments, 
a member either prays orally 
or meditates for one hour, or 
partly prays orally and partly 
meditates, both in honor of 
the Passion of our Lord and 
the Sorrows of Mary, His 
Mother. Prayer, also, for the 
intention of the Pope. 


INWlIEGEXt'ES: 

1. On the day of admission. 

2. On Christmas. 

3. On the feast of the Epiph¬ 
any. 

4. On the feast of Corpus 
Christi. 

5. On the feast of the Im¬ 
maculate Conception. 

6. Oii the feast of the Na¬ 
tivity of the B. V. Mary. 

7. On the feast of the An¬ 
nunciation of the B. V. Mary. 

8. On the feast of the Purifi¬ 
cation of the B. V. Mary. 

9. On the feast of the As¬ 
sumption of the B. V. Mary. 

10. On the feast of the 
Apparition of St. Michael, 
(May 8.) 

11. On the feast of St. Michael.- 
(September 29.) 



524 The Archconfraternity of the Most Precious Blood. 


4. At the hour of death, if 
they devoutly invoke, after 
having received the sacra¬ 
ments, the Most Holy Name 
of Jesus by word of mouth, 
and when this is impossible, 
in their hearts.—The members 
are also entitled to receive in 
the hour of death, by the priest 
delegated, the apostolic bles¬ 
sing, with which a plenary 
indulgence is connected. 

5. On the feast of the Most 
Precious Blood, celebrated on 
the first Sunday of July. 

6. On Christmas. 

7. On the feast of the Epiph¬ 
any. 

8. On Easter Sunday. 

9. On the feast of the Im¬ 
maculate Conception. 

10. On the feast of the Puri¬ 
fication of the B. V. Mary. 

11. On the feast of the As¬ 
sumption of the B. V. Mary. 

12. On the feast of Mary, 
Help of Christians. (May 24.) 

13. On the feast of the Holy 
Rosary. (First Sunda}^ of Oc¬ 
tober.) 

14. On the feast of Ss. Peter 
and Paul. 

15. On All Souls’ Day. 


12. On the feast of St. Joseph. 
(March 19.) 

13. On the feast of the Patron¬ 
age of St. Joseph. (Third Sun¬ 
day after Easter.) 

14. On the feast of Ss. Peter, 
and Paul. 

15. On All Souls’ Day. 

16. On one day of every 
month according to one’s own 
selection. 

17. At the hour of death, if, 
after receiving if possible the 
sacraments, they devoutly in¬ 
voke by word of mouth, and 
when this is impossible, in 
their hearts, the Most Holy 
Name of Jesus. 


For the gaining of the above indulgences it is neces¬ 
sary, besides confession and communion, to visit some 
church or public chapel, if the confessor for sufficient 
rea.son does not commute the visit into some other 


Indulgences and Privileges of the Archconfraternity. 525 

good work. These indulgences may be gained on the 
days mentioned, or on any day within the octave. 

The following indulgences can be gained only on 
the days indicated : 

16. On New Year’s Day, 

17. On all Fridays during 
March. 

18. On the 28th of March, 
feast of the Miracle of the 
Precious Blood in the church 
of St. Mary in Vado, at Fer¬ 
rara. (1171.) 

19. On Holy Thursday. 

20. On the feast of the In¬ 
vention of the Holy Cross. 

21. On the feast of the As¬ 
cension of Our Ford. 

22. On the feast of Pentecost. 

23. On the feast of Corpus 
Christi. 

24. On the feast of the Ex¬ 
altation of the Holy Cross. 

25. On the feast of the Most 
Holy Redeemer. (Third Sunday 
in July, or October 23.) 

26. On the feast of the An¬ 
nunciation B. V. M. 

27. On Friday in Passion 
Week, feast of the Seven Do¬ 
lors B. V. M. 

28. On the feast of Our Lady 
of Mount Carmel. (July 16.) 

29. On the feast of the Na¬ 
tivity B. V. M. 

30. On the feast of the Seven 
Dolors B. V. M. (Third Sunday 
in September.) 








526 The Archconfrateriiity of the Most Precious Blood, 


31. On the feast of the Pre¬ 
sentation B. V. M. (Nov. 21.) 

32. On the feast of St. Joseph. 

33. On the feast of St. John 
Bapt. (June 24.) 

34. On the feast of All Saints. 

35. On the feast of St. Fran¬ 
cis Xavier. (December 3.) 

36. On the feast of St. Nicho¬ 
las. (December 6.) 


II. PARTIAI. IKDITTGENCES: 

I. An indulgence of ten 
years and ten quarantines on 
all the other feasts of our Lord 
and of the Blessed Virgin Mary 
not mentioned above. Also: 
on the feasts of the Apostles 
and Evangelists, of the angels 
and archangels; on the feasts of 
Ss. Joachim, Ann, Lawrence, 

Stephan, Philip Neri, Francis 
of Paul, Francis of Assisi, 

Cecilia, Agnes, Lucia, Cathe¬ 
rine; on the Sunday within the 
octave of St. Gregory Thauma- 
turgus. Condition : Contrite 
visit of a church or public 
chapel and prayer for the in¬ 
tention of the Pope. 


2. An indulgence of Seven 

As often as a member visits in 
a church the Blessed Sacra¬ 
ment, or an image of the Cruci¬ 
fied, or an image of the Blessed 
Virgin; also as often as a mem¬ 
ber assists, in a church in 
which the Archconfraternity 


Years and Seven Quarantines: 

I. On all the other feasts of 
our Lord not mentioned above 
and celebrated in the entire 
Church; also on the feasts of 
the Invention and Exaltation 
of the Holy Cross. On the 
feasts of the Blessed Virgin 





Indulgences and Privileges of the Archconfraternity, 527 


is erected, at Holy Mass, at a 
procession, or at any other 
public ser\dce. Condition: Con¬ 
trite prayer for the intention 
of the Pope. 

3. An indulgence of one year, 
as often as one does some act, 
or in any way whatsoever 
exerts himself, for the propa¬ 
gation of the devotion to the 
Most Precious Blood. 

4. An indulgence of 07 ie hun¬ 
dred days, as often as a mem¬ 
ber instructs the ignorant in 
the mysteries of faith, or ac¬ 
companies the Blessed Sacra¬ 
ment in processions or when it 
is carried to the sick, or if pre¬ 
vented says at the sound of the 
bell an Our P'ather and Hail 
Mary; also, for promoting 
peace between enemies; for 
harboring the poor; for attend¬ 
ing funerals; for saying five 
Our Fathers and Hail Marys 
for deceased members; for 
converting a sinner; for say¬ 
ing seven Glory be to the 
P'ather, etc. in honor of the 
Most Precious Blood; for every 
other good work performed in 
piety and charity. 


Mary and of the Apostles ; on 
the seven days following All 
Souls’ day; on the Saturday 
before Sexagesima Sunday and 
on the ten following days; ^ 
also, on the first Monday of • 
every month. Condition: Visit 
of some church or public 
chapel, and prayer for the in¬ 
tention of the Pope. 

2. A n ifidulgence of three 
hundred days for every visit of 
a church or public chapel, and 
prayer therein for the inten¬ 
tion of the Pope. (Members 
legitimately prevented from 
these visits can perform some 
other good work instead, and 
yet gain the plenary and partial 
indulgences.) 

3. One hundred days for 
every work of charity or piety. 

HI. The members outside of 
Rome also gain the station in¬ 
dulgences, if they visit, on the 
days of the stations, a church 
or chapel and pray for the 
intention of the Pope. These 
station indulgences are: Plen¬ 
ary: i) On Christmas; 2) on 
Holy Thursday; 3) on Easter; 

4) on Ascension day. — To 
gain these four indulgences 
confession and communion are 
required.— Partial: i.) Thirty 
years and thirty quarantines 
on the feasts of St. Stephan, 
St. John the Evangelist; Holy 
Innocents, Circumcision of Our 
Ford, Epiphany; on the Sun- 


528 The Archconfraternity of the Most Precious Blood. 

days Septuagesinia, Sexagesi- 
ma, and Quinquagesima; on 
Good Friday and Holy Satur¬ 
day ; during the octave of 
♦ Easter, Low Sunday included; 

on the feast of St. Mark, Evan¬ 
gelist; on the three Rogation 
days; on Pentecost and during 
the octave, Saturday included. 

2. An indulgence of twenty- 
five years and twenty-five 
quarantines on Palm Sunday. 

3. An indulgence of fifteen 
years and fifteen quarantines: 
On the third Sunday in Advent; 
on the vigil of Christmas; for 
the first and second Mass on 
Christmas; on Ash Wednesday; 
on the fourth Sunday in Lent. 

4. An indulgence of ten 
years and ten quarantines: on 
the first, second and fourth 
Sunday in Advent; on all the 
days of Lent not already men¬ 
tioned; on the eve of Pente¬ 
cost; on all Ember days, except 
those in the octave of Pente¬ 
cost. 

IV. An indulgence of seven 
years and seven quarantines 
during the month of Novem¬ 
ber, for assisting at the devo¬ 
tions for the Suffering Souls 
in the churches or chapels of 
the Archconfraternity, on con¬ 
dition that they pray also for 
the intention of the Pope. A 
plenary indulgence during 
November, if they shall have 
assisted at these devotions at 


Indulgences and Privileges of the Archconfraternity. 529 


least twelve times, and receive 
the sacraments. Sick members 
may say, instead of these 
visits, the De profwidis. 

V. An indulgence of seven 
years and seven quarantines 
for visiting a cemetery and 
praying there for the faithful 
departed. A plenary indul¬ 
gence, if they shall have visited 
a cemetery, as above, at least 
four times a month. Condition: 
confession, communion and 
visit of a church. 


OTHER AI>VANTAGES ANI> PKIVIEEOES: 


III. I. When the Archcon¬ 
fraternity is established, a cer¬ 
tain altar is to be designated, 
which then is privileged ipso 
facto for every day and for 
all times. 

2. The members share in all 
the good works and peniten¬ 
tial exercises of all religious 
Orders and Congregations. 
(Rescript of September 20th, 
1852.) 


VI. I, The altar of the con¬ 
fraternities affiliated with the 
Archconfraternity of Monte- 
rone is privileged every day, 
and for all Masses celebrated 
there, also for non-members. 

2. The members share in a 
special manner, in life, in 
death, and after death in all 
the good works performed by 
the Augustinians, Carmelites, 
Franciscans, Capuchins, and 
Trinitarians, of either sex; also 
of the Redemptorists. 


VIL Special Privileges of Priests. 

I. By Rescript of August 23d, 1861, the directors 
of the Archconfraternity and the priests subdelegated 
by them have the privilege of blessing the so-called 
“Angelic Crown” for the members, and of applying 
to them the indulgences granted for it. 


35* 






530 The Archconfraternity of the Most Precious Blood. 

2. By permis.sion of the Holy See the Superiors 
General of various religious Orders have granted 
special faculties to the directors; for instance, the 
faculty of applying the so-called Dominican indul¬ 
gences to a rosary of fifteen or five decades; of bless¬ 
ing the scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and 
investing the faithful with it; of imparting to them 
in the hour of death the Papal benediction with a 
plenary indulgence; also, of commuting for them 
into other works the obligations for gaining the Sab- 
batine privilege. 

The directors and the priests subdelegated by the 
Procurator General of the Redemptorists moreover 
enjoy the privilege of blessing for all the faithful the 
so-called “Crown of Our Lord,” and of applying to 
them the indulgences ; of receiving the faithful into 
the Confraternity of Our Lady of Consolation; of 
blessing the Cord and rosary of this confraternity, and 
of imparting to its members the general absolution at 
the hour of death; also, of receiving the faithful into 
the confraternity of the Most Hol}^ Trinity and bless¬ 
ing its scapular ; finally, of blessing the scapular of 
Our Lord’s Passion and investing the faithful with it. 

But the directors and subdelegated priests cannot 
make use of these faculties in places where convents 
of the above mentioned Orders exist. They must 
also use the ceremonial of these Orders in blessing 
and investing with the scapulars, and register the 
names in the proper records. 

The establishment of the Archconfraternity of the 
Most Precious Blood is performed canonically by the 
diocesan bishop. This being done, application is 
made to the Director General in Rome, church of St. 


Indulge 7 ices and Privileges of the Archconfraternity. o.‘}l 


Nicholas m Carcere, for aggregation and the impart¬ 
ing of indulgences. This application may also be sent to 
the Superior General of the Congregation of the Most 
Precious Blood, who obtained the necessary faculties 
by Brief of July 29th, 1891.—This being more or less 
difficult and expensive, the author of this book de¬ 
clares himself willing to attend to these preliminaries, 
and to furnish further instructions, gratis. Address : 
The Spiritual Benevolent Fraternity, St. Joseph’s Col¬ 
lege, Collegeville, Jasper County, Indiana. 

In places where a confraternity is not or cannot be 
canonically established, the above-mentioned General 
grants to priests who apply for it the faculty of inscrib¬ 
ing the faithful into the Roman archconfraternity, thus 
making them sharers of all its indulgences and privi¬ 
leges. The priests are called “Aggregators.” The 
names of persons thus inscribed must be sent within 
a year, or as soon thereafter as it can conveniently be 
done, to a canonically established confraternity of the 
Most Precious Blood.—They are best sent to the 
above address. 

In places where there is no confraternity of this 
kind, and no House of the Missionaries of the Most 
Precious Blood, the priests called Aggregators have 
the faculty of imparting to the members the blessing 
with the plenary indulgence at the hour of death (ac¬ 
cording to the usual formula) ; they may also impart 
it to each and every faithful, if the dying person has 
at least given his name by word of mouth, to be in¬ 
scribed later on the register of the archconfraternity.— 
The Aggregators also enjoy once a week the privilege 
of the altar. 


582 The Archconfrater^iity of the Most Precious Blood, 


II. Remarks on Indulgences. 

“To become a saint it is sufficient to gain as 
many indulgences as possible.”— St. Alphonsus 
Liguori. 

“For those who seek the love of God and 
heaven indulgences are a rich treasure and like so 
many precious stones. ’ ’ 

“As indulgences deserve so great reverence that 
I cannot deservedly praise and eulogize them, I 
can only implore you, for the love of God and for 
the sake of the worship due to Him, to esteem and 
prize them highly and with all solicitude.” 

— St. Ignatius. 

I. To gain an indulgence many things are 
required. First, it is necessary to be in the state of 
grace ; that is, the soul must be free from mortal sin, 
because the soul that is loaded with the guilt of 
mortal sin and with the debt of eternal punish¬ 
ment, neither is nor can be capable of receiving 
the remission of temporal punishment. It is proper 
therefore, in order to prepare oneself, to go to 
confession every time one begins the good works 
enjoined for gaining an indulgence. But if this be 
not done, it is necessary that at least the last of the 
good works enjoined be performed in the state of 
grace. It should be observed here, that in granting 
partial indulgences sacramental confession is not usu¬ 
ally prescribed, but the clause “with at least contrite 
heart” is generally employed ; which means that, if 
any one in the state of mortal sin wishes to gain the 
indulgence in question, he must at least make an act 
of true contrition, with a firm purpose of going to 
confession. So the S. Congregation of Indulgences 
decided December 17th, 1870. 

From this it will be seen that the Catholic Church 
rejects with abhorrence the imputation that by grant- 


Remarks on Indulgences. 


533 


ing an indulgence she grants permission to commit 
sin, or offers pardon for future sins, or exempts from 
works of penance and piety. As to the latter, an in¬ 
dulgence is an encouragement to their performance, 
since thej^ are prescribed as necessary conditions for 
gaining it. Surely therefore the doctrine of the Catho¬ 
lic Church concerning indulgences does not tend to 
the relaxation of Christian morality or to the encour¬ 
agement of vice, nor does it facilitate the commission 
of evil, but rather it roots out sin and promotes the 
exercise of every Christian virtue. 

2. To gain an indulgence it is necessary, secondly^ 
to have' at least a general mteiitioyi of gaining it. 
Hence it is advisable to renew every morning the 
intention of gaining each and every one of the indul¬ 
gences that can be gained during the day, and to apply 
them, when so applicable, for the relief of the souls in 
Purgatory. This application can be made in favor of 
one or more souls, particularly mentioned, or gener¬ 
ally in favor of all the souls in Purgatory. 

3. In opening the treasury of holy indulgences 
the Church has always required of the faithful the 
performance of some good work under specified cir¬ 
cumstances of time, place, etc. For the gaining of an 
indulgence it is therefore necessary, thirdly^ to perform 
personally and devoutly all the good works enjoined, 
observing carefully the circumstances of time, manner, 
end, etc., according to the terms in which the indul¬ 
gence is granted. If any one of the works enjoined be 
omitted either wholly or in some notable portion, be 
it through ignorance, or negligence, or inability ; or if 
any one of the prescribed conditions of time, place, 
etc., be not observed for any reason whatsoever—then 


534 The Archconfraternity of the Most Precious Blood. 

the indulgence in question is not gained. The in¬ 
dulgence may be gained however, if a legitimate com¬ 
mutation has been made with regard to the works or 
conditions prescribed.—To gain a plenary indulgence, 
the works that are ordinarily prescribed are the follow¬ 
ing: confession, communion, a visit to a church or 
public oratory, and pious prayers for the intention of 
the Holy Father. 

4. Concerning the confession the S. Congregation 
of Indulgences decreed May 19th, 1759, that “sacra¬ 
mental confession, when it is required by the brief as 
a condition for gaining a plenary indulgence, must be 
made by all, even by those who are not conscious of 
mortal sin.” But in order to make the obligation of 
confession and communion as easy as possible it was 
decreed October 6th, 1870, that “either the confession 
alone, or the confession and the communion, may be 
made by all the faithful on the day immediately pre¬ 
ceding that for which the indulgence is granted. In 
this decree are included both the plenary indulgences 
already granted, and those which may be hereafter 
granted by the Sovereign Pontiffs; provided that all 
the other conditions for gaining the plenary indul¬ 
gence be duly complied with.” 

5. A decree of December 9th, 1763, grants that 
those of “the faithful, who have the pious custom of 
confessing their sins at least once a week,—provided 
they are not legitimately hindered, and have kept 
themselves free from mortal sin since their last confes¬ 
sion—can gain all the indulgences without making 
another confession. But to gain the indulgence of the 
ordinary or extraordinary Jubilee, or that granted in the 
form of a Jubilee, the sacramental confession must be 


Retnat ks ofi Indulgences. 


585 


repeated.” From an answer given by the same Con¬ 
gregation December 4th, 1843, it appears that this de¬ 
cision applies to all indulgences that can be gained in 
the course of the week. For some dioceses, where 
there is a scarcity of priests, this privilege is extended 
in favor of those who have the pious custom of con¬ 
fessing their sins every fortnight. This privilege 
however must be obtained by the Ordinary of the 
diocese. 

6. Besides the regulations laid down in the decree 
of October 6th, 1870, about the reception of holy com¬ 
munion, it should be noted that one and the same 
communion will serve for many plenary indulgences 
that may be gained on the same day, even though 
communion be prescribed for each one of them; but 
it is necessary that all the other conditions assigned for 
each indulgence be complied with in order to gain 
them all, as appears from an answer given by the S. 
Congregation May 29th, 1841. The same S. Congre¬ 
gation further declared May loth, 1844, that “by the 
paschal communion the condition is fulfilled for gain¬ 
ing a plenary indulgence occurring on the day on 
which the communion is received, and the precept of 
the Church is satisfied at the same time.” In the case 
of a local indulgence, or of one attached to a particular 
church, it is not required that communion should be 
received in that church, unless the condition is so stated 
in the brief. 

7. Finally, by a decree of September i8th, 1862, 
Pope Pius IX. granted “to all the faithful who are 
habitually prevented by chronic illness or permanent 
physical disability of any kind from leaving their 
dwellings the privilege of gaining each and every one 


586 The Archconfraternity of the Most Precious Blood. 

of the plenary indulgences hitherto granted, or which 
may be granted hereafter—provided they have con¬ 
fessed their sins and fulfilled the other conditions with 
a truly penitent spiritbesides which they must per¬ 
form faithfully, instead of the holy communion, some 
pious work according to the direction of their con¬ 
fessors. Those only, who live in religious communi¬ 
ties, are excepted from this privilege. 

8. It should be well understood that by the visit 
to be made to a church or public oratory is understood 
a visit made to some sacred place through motives of 
faith and religion, with the intention of honoring God 
either directly or by acts of devotion to some one of 
His saints. Hence it is not necessary, in order to gain 
a plenary indulgence, that a visit be made to a church, 
unless it is so stated in the indult granting the indul¬ 
gence. But if the indult determines some particular 
church, as for example the parish church, then the 
visit must be made to that particular church, except 
in case of a legitimate commutation. Otherwise this 
condition may be satisfied by a visit to any church or 
public oratory. It must be observed however, that 
the S. Congregation, in an answer given August 22d, 
1842, declared that “those oratories cannot be called 
public, which are canonically dedicated in monasteries, 
seminaries, and other conventual establishments, and 
to which the public is not habitually admittedor, in 
other words, those oratories are not considered public, 
which are not open to common use. 

9. It is stated in a decree of May 19th, 1759, that 
the visit “may be made either before or after having 
fulfilled the other conditions,” provided it be made 
within the time prescribed for gaining the indulgence. 


Remarks on hidiilgences. 


537 


It is important, therefore, to note carefully the terms 
in which each indulgence is granted. If the limit is 
placed at the hour of sunset, it is understood that the 
visit must be made before the evening twilight of the 
day for which the indulgence is granted. (^S. Congr. 
Rit., November 3, 1832.) 

10. When one intends to gain several plenary in¬ 
dulgences on the same day by a single confession and 
communion, and a visit is required by the terms of the 
indult for each indulgence, it must be understood, that 
according to a decree of February 29th, 1864, “it is 
required that as many distinct visits be made as will 
equal the number of indulgences to be gained. Hence 
it is necessary, for every successive visit, to leave the 
church and enter it again.” 

Lastly, according to a decree of September i8th, 
1862, already quoted, the prescribed visit may be 
changed into some other pious work in the case of 
those who are unable to leave their homes on account 
of chronic illness, or any other physical impediment; 
which commutation may be made by the penitent’s 
ordinary confessor. Those living in religious com¬ 
munities are excepted from this privilege. 

11. Some pious prayers are generally required 
among the conditions for gaining plenary indulgences, 
and sometimes even for partial indulgences. When 
the indult mentions prayers “for the intention of the 
Sovereign Pontiff,” or, “for the usual intentions,” it 
is understood that some prayers must be said for the 
spread of the Catholic faith, for the triumph of Holy 
Church, for the conversion of sinners and unbelievers, 
for peace and union among Christian princes and 
rulers, and for the extirpation of heresy. As to the 




538 The Archconfraternity of the Most Precious Blood. 

form of the prayers to be said in such cases, the S. 
Congregation decided May 29th, 1841, that “the 

prayers to be said for the intention of the Sovereign 
Pontiff in order to gain an indulgence are left to the 
discretion of individuals, unless some particular prayers 
are specially mentioned.” But the S. Congregation goes 
on to state that prayers which are of obligation on 
other grounds, as for instance the canonical office, 
cannot be understood to satisfy the obligation of pray¬ 
ing for the intention of the Sovereign Pontiff in order 
to gain an indulgence. 

12. Concerning the time and place in which these 
pra5^ers must be said, the same is to be observed as is 
prescribed for visits. Hence if the condition limits 
the visit to some particular church, besides making 
the visit, the prayers also must be said in that church. 
If any one desires to gain several plenary indulgences 
on the same day, and a visit is prescribed for each one 
of the indulgences, the prayers must be said as often 
as the visit is made for each of the separate indul¬ 
gences. 

13. Finally, any person who receives communion 
in the church which is to be visited, and there offers 
up pious pra3'ers to God on the day appointed for the 
gaining of an indulgence, is to be considered as having 
satisfied both the obligation of visiting the church and 
that of praying according to the conditions prescribed. 

14. But the most important condition for gaining 
a plenary indulgence is to have a true hatred for all 
sins, even venial, and to be wholly free from any 
attachment to them. This condition is absolutely 
necessary ; for, as St. Alphonsus teaches, “it is certain 
that so long as the guilt of venial sin is not remitted. 


Remarks on Indulgences, 


589 


the punishment due to it cannot be remitted.” From 
this it is clear that the soul cannot obtain the total 
remission of temporal punishment as long as it bears the 
guilt of a single venial sin, or, in other words, it can¬ 
not gain a plenary indulgence; for a plenary indul¬ 
gence is nothing more nor less than the complete 
remission of the temporal punishment due to sin df 
which the guilt has already been remitted. Hence 
the great importance for those who desire to gain a 
plenary indulgence of striving to stir up in their hearts 
a sincere sorrow, not only for mortal sins, whereof the 
guilt has already been remitted, but even for each and 
every venial sin. 

15. If an indulgence is granted for a prayer or 
pious work, the atonement granted us thereby is not 
the result of that prayer or work, but solely of the 
merits of Christ applied to us through the indulgence. 
It is not the paper on which it is printed that gives 
value to a twenty dollar note, but the promise of pay- 
‘ ment made by the corporationissuingthe note. The grant 
of an indulgence is as it were a certificate giving us a 
claim on the treasury of the Church, the superabun¬ 
dant merits of Christ and the saints, whence the 
Church makes payment for us. To retain our simili¬ 
tude, the prayer or good work is but the paper on 
which the certificate is written. Hence the length or 
brevity of the prayer has no bearing on the indulgence ; 
it has influence only on the merit we gain. Nor does 
it make any difference whether the pra3^er be addressed 
to God or to a saint. A short prayer, or one addressed 
to a saint, may have a greater indulgence attached to it 
than a longer one, or one directed to God: the indul¬ 
gence attached to it is always a glorification of Christ, 


5W The Archconfraternity of the Most Precious Blood. 


whose merit is applied to us, and a glorification of the 
Eternal Father, who from pure mercy accepts the 
atonement of His Divine Son made and offered for us. 

16. To gain the plenary indulgence at the hour 
of death the following conditions are to be observed : 
a) The dying person must have the intention and will 
to gain the indulgence ; b') he must confess his sins 
and receive holy communion ; or if this be impossible, 
he must make an act of perfect contrition; c) he must 
devoutly invoke the Holy Name of Jesus, if possible 
by word of mouth, or at least in his heart; he must 
be resigned to the will of God. content to die, and to 
accept the sufferings of his agony and of death itself 
from the hand of God in satisfaction for his sins.— 
This last condition is of great importance. 

17. It is a dogma of faith that indulgences are 
salutary for the faithful departed. They are of great 
benefit to the Suffering Souls for a two-fold reason : 
first, it is Holy Church herself who thereby makes 
intercession for them; secondly, the infinite merits of 
our Divine Savior are applied to them.—If we, who are 
nothing but poor sinners, are permitted to help them 
by our defective prayers and good works, how much 
the more will the indulgences granted for their bene¬ 
fit by the Church be to their advantage! —As to the 
extent of the relief received by the Suffering Souls 
through the application of indulgences, it depends 
partly on the good pleasure of God, partly on the 
capability of the souls. At all events we may rest 
assured that those of the Holy Souls, who had a high 
esteem for indulgences during life and were zealous 
in gaining them for the faithful departed, will receive 
greater benefit through them after death, than souls 


The Spiritual Benevolent Fraternity. 


541 


that were neglectful in tli's regard during their life on 
earth. 

18. In conclusion we advise our readers to observe 
great caution in regard to indulgences. First, let 
them not trust an indulgence except it have the 
proper authentication. Secondly, let them be scrupu¬ 
lously careful to fulfil to the very letter all the con¬ 
ditions specified in the grant of the indulgence, thus 
avoiding the omission of essentials whereby the 
indulgence would be rendered, if not void, at least 
doubtful. We advise, thirdly, great zeal and fervor 
in gaining indulgences, because they are a powerful 
means to obtain for ourselves the remission of the 
temporal punishment due to our sins, and speedy re¬ 
lief for the souls in Purgatory. “By mercy and faith 
sins are purged away.” (Prov. xv. 27.) 

III. The Spiritual Benevolent Fraternity for the Relief 

of the Suffering Souls. 

I. In the Acts of the Apostles St. Peter tells us 
that Jesus “went about doing good” (Acts xi. 33.) ; 
and of the Apostles we read in the Gospel that “they 
went about through the towns preaching the Gospel 
and healing everywhere.” (Luke ix. 6.) This same 
two-fold duty is the office of the ministers of the 
Church to-day. They are servants of religion, hence 
ministers proclaiming to the world the love of God 
and inculcating charity towards man. The time of 
performing miracles may be said to be past, the 
ministers of the Church may no longer be able like 
the Apostles to heal the illness and miseries of 
mankind by a word; and therefore charity must take 


.■>42 The Archcon fraternity of the Most Precious Blood, 

the place of miracles, the corporal and spiritual works 
of mercy must follow us through life. The salutary 
influence of works of mercy on the SuAhring Souls 
can not be sufficiently described. St. Thomas 
Aquinas does not hesitate to declare that alms-giving, 
by which is meant every species of charity, has greater 
atoning value than prayer, pra3^er a greater one than 
fasting. Still greater praise he gives to the spiritual 
works of mercy; for he maintains that they surpass 
the corporal works in the same degree as the .spirit 
excels the bod5\ Hence Boudon exhorts us: “Con¬ 
sole the distressed, counsel the doubtful, instruct the 
ignorant, convert sinners, encourage the despondent. 
Do it all for the intention of relieving the souls in 
Purgatory, and God will be merciful to thee.” 

2. As the corporal and spiritual works of mercy- 
are intimately connected with each other, and as the 
corporal works of mercy are practised almost univers¬ 
ally in this country, the “Spiritual Benevolent Fra¬ 
ternity” has for its principal object the promotion of the 
spiritual works of mercy; it intends, as far as its 
influence reaches, to place them on a level with the 
widely diffused practice of corporal charity. As the 
soul exceeds the body, this Fraternity esteems the 
spiritual works of mercy more highly than the cor¬ 
poral works ; it makes use of the latter in practising 
the former.—Oh, how many souls are sentenced to 
years, yea, to centuries of Purgatory for neglecting the 
spiritual works of mercy !—The true Christian is all 
charity. Remembering the faithful departed he says, 
“I will supply the deficiency for which these souls are 
suffering.” And this is the object of the “Spiritual 
Benevolent Fraternity for the Relief of the Suffering 


The Spiritual Benevolent Fraternity. 


543 


Souls.”—Its ministrations are to embrace the seven 
spiritual works of mercy. 

3. The greatest misfortune that can befall man is 
sin. Hence the greatest charity we can manifest to¬ 
wards a person is to cause him to avoid sin, or if he 
has committed it, to effect his conversion. To convert 
sinners by inducing them to receive the sacrament of 
Penance is therefore the first among the spiritual 
works of mercy. Parents, masters, mistresses and 
superiors generally are .strictly bound to this work of 
mercy ; and they practise it by exhorting their subjects, 
by cautioning them against spiritual dangers, by re¬ 
minding them to* receive the sacraments, etc. Oh, 
how many souls now expiate in the flames of Pur¬ 
gatory their neglect of this duty ! They are oUr fellow- 
Christians, sanctified in the same baptism, redeemed 
like us by the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ.— 
Behold there a father suffering because he was too fond 
of his children, behold him atoning for his over- 
indulgence ; behold that mother, whose natural affec¬ 
tion was an impediment to her children’s spiritual 
welfare; behold that wife who was too yielding and 
loved her husband more than God; behold that soul 
to whom the favor of a friend was dearer than divine 
grace ! They are our relatives, with whom we had 
daily intercourse during life ; and what is still more 
calculated to embitter our sorrow and grief, they are 
suffering perhaps through our fault. Must we then 
not feel bound to come to their assistance by ful¬ 
filling our duties of charity, and by prayer and sacri¬ 
fice for the repose of their souls? — Practise therefore 
this spiritual work of mercy, for the neglect of which 
these souls are suffering in Purgatory—exhort, con¬ 
vert sinners! 


544 The Archconfrater 7 iity of the Most Precious Blood. 

4. A blind man is liable to fall. And so also do 
many persons commit sin, or they continue to live in 
sin, because they are blind; they are ignorant con¬ 
cerning matters pertaining to their salvation. They 
do not know the commandments ; they are not aware 
of God’s goodness, of the great evil they commit by sin. 
Hence it is a great work of mercy to instruct the 
ignorant, to make them acquainted with their duty 
towards God, etc., because we thereby induce them to 
serve God, to avoid sin, to amend their lives. This 
work of mercy is practised by pastors and teachers, 
when they instruct children in their religion ; by par¬ 
ents, when they instruct their children themselves, or 
send them to be instructed by others; also by those 
who furnish good reading matter to others. We 
share in this work of mercy also by contributing to 
the support of Catholic schools, of missionaries in 
our own and in foreign countries; by aiding the dis¬ 
tribution of devotional articles among Catholics, to 
assist them to a more fervent practice of their religion. 
The fulfilling of this duty of instructing the ignorant 
helps many souls to gain heaven ; its neglect has 
brought many into Purgatory. Oh, how often do 
these souls, when they see the portals of their fiery 
prison opened, anxiously expect the angel’s call to 
glory ! But they are disappointed. Their hour, alas, 
has not yet come. Other souls, who had instructed 
the ignorant in their duties, are the happy ones to 
whom the summons came; their release was hastened 
by the prayers and sacrifices of those whom they 
once instructed. What a torment for these forsaken 
souls, especially if they suffer for their neglect of duty 
as priests, pastors, teachers or parents !—For them the 


The Spirihial Benevolent Fraternity. 


545 


members of the Fraternity show special compassion. 
Many priests, teachers, and other zealous Christians 
strenuously exert themselves to appease the wrath of 
God and to implore His mercy for these unfortunates; 
for which purpose they labor instructing the ignorant, 
and bestowing on the Poor Souls the atoning value of 
their charity. They circulate good books and papers 
for the instruction of the faithful, of Protestants and 
unbelievers; they have already circulated over one 
hundred thousand copies of such books and papers 
through the agency of the Fraternity. They give 
alms for this purpose, and for the support of mission¬ 
aries at home and abroad. 

5. The members of the Fraternity are also anxious 
to give counsel to the doubtful. How deplorable is 
the state of a person who does not know what to do. 
Despair is often the result of doubt. Thousands and 
thousands have perished for want of good counsel, 

^ and. they that neglected to aid them by giving it are 
now suffering the torments of Purgatory. The same 
measure is meted out to them with which they have 
measured to others : they are among the most for¬ 
saken souls in Purgatory. Hence the members of the 
Fraternity are anxious to give good counsel to the 
doubtful, thereby to confer a lasting benefit on those 
whom they thus assist. They tell them what to do ; 
or they direct them to persons competent to give them 
the counsel needed, for instance to their pastor, their 
confessor, etc. 

6. The afflicted, too, are remembered. How piti¬ 
ful is the state of those who are in distre.ss ! For in¬ 
stance here is a person who has lost his property, his 

situation, and knows not what will become of himself 

36 * 


546 The Archconfraternity of the Most Precious Blood. 

and his family; there is a sick person, poor and af¬ 
flicted, who has not the wherewith to appease his 
children’s hunger; here is a mother whose child died, 
or a child who lost its parents; there is a sinner who is 
terrified at the thought of God’s justice and almost 
despairs of His mercy, etc. Whosoever during life 
hardens his heart against the tears and lamentations 
of the afflicted, will himself have to experience the 
harrowing desolation of Purgatory; he will have to 
atone “to the last farthing’’ for his want of charity. 
Even if prayers are said for him there is little hope for 
his speedy release, because the acceptance of the suf¬ 
frages offered is left entirely to God. Now according 
to St. Augustine God does not always accept the pray¬ 
ers said for the Suffering Souls in favor of those for 
whom they are offered, but grants their atoning value 
to such souls as were distinguished for their charity 
during mortal life. The members of the Fraternity 
render satisfaction to God for this neglect of charity.^ 
The}^ seek to comfort the afflicted by preventing if 
possible their misfortunes, or by remedying them to the 
best of their abilit3^ They console the sorrowful by 
directing their attention to God’s all-wise Providence, 
to the supreme goodness of Him who knows how to 
bring good out of evil. Such consolation is of great 
benefit to the distressed, for even the knowledge of 
having found sympathy is a comfort to them. More¬ 
over, by this work of charity we prevent sins of impa¬ 
tience, even of despair. We help the afflicted to gain 
heaven by resignation to God’s will. And by the good 
works of which this charity is so prolific we may 
relieve and deliver through the application of Christ’s 
atoning merits a great number of Suffering Souls. 


The Spiritual Benevolent Fraternity. 


547 


7. A most effectual means of aiding the Poor 
'Souls is the imitation of our Divine Savior by bearing 

wrongs patiently. We practice this work of mercy 
when we meekly suffer the injuries that others do to 
us, not returning evil for evil, but quietly and sub¬ 
missively bearing it for God’s sake. We thereby spare 
our offenders the confusion and punishment which 
by right they deserve; and what is more, we also 
spare them the sin to which we would have provoked 
them by angry recriminations. Besides we also 
spare ourselves the guilt of indulging in revengeful 
thoughts, desires, words and deeds. And oh, how 
many souls are suffering for these faults in Purgatory ! 
The friends of the Poor Souls are therefore eager to 
bear offences patiently for the relief of the faithful 
departed.—A poor woman was often ill-treated by her 
husband. She told her grievances to a saintly abbot, 
who counselled her to bear her sufferings patiently 
and to offer them up for the souls in Purgatory ; and 
no doubt she would soon be relieved. She did so; 
and soon a number of souls released from Purgatory 
by this woman’s patience appeared to the abbot. On 
being informed of it she was greatly comforted; she 
continued in this salutary practice and thereby re¬ 
leased many more souls. 

8. With this charitable work is closely connected 
that other of forgiving offences. If we patiently suffer 
injuries, we will also forgive offences. We are willing 
to forget them, to overlook them, to pardon the of¬ 
fender ourselves, and to pray that God also may for¬ 
give him. This ready forgiveness of offences, this 
love of our enemies, is a most effectual means for help¬ 
ing the Suffering Souls. The more heroic it is, the 


548 The Archconfraternity of the Most Precious Blood. 

more it makes us like unto God; for which reason it 
is also so much the more eifective a means to hasten 
the deliverance of the Poor Souls from Purgatory. 
Mansius relates that a nobleman forgave the murderer 
of his brother, when on Good Friday the culprit 
begged pardon for the love of Him who on that day 
had died on the cross for the love of us. Afterwards 
our Lord appeared to the nobleman and assured him 
that by his charity he had released from Purgatory the 
souls of his brother and father, and that after a week 
he himself should enter heaven. And the nobleman 
died at the time indicated! What a favor!—To love 
all men, even those who have offended us, is difficult 
to human nature. A great many persons live on har¬ 
boring secret rancor against their neighbor; and yet 
they pray every day, “Forgive us our trespasses, as 
we forgive them who trespass against us.” In such 
a state they depart this life. From the depth of Pur¬ 
gatory they implore God again and again to have 
mercy on them; but they are treated now, as they 
asked to be treated in their prayer on earth.—Must 
they suffer till the last farthing is paid? Yes; unless 
atonement is made for them on earth.—Hence the 
Fraternity is active in promoting forgiveness of of¬ 
fences, in effecting reconciliation between enemies, 
and in fostering charity—thereby to atone for the 
neglect of these duties for which the souls in Pur¬ 
gatory are now suffering. 

9. It may happen that a person for a long time 
has no opportunity to perform any of these works of 
mercy; at least we cannot do good to all men. But 
there is one thing we can do for everybody without 
exception : we can pray for the living and the dead. 


The Spiritual Benevolent Fraternity. 


549 


And by thus praying we often do more good than 
by giving temporal aid. Hence prayer enables us in 
truth to practice charity towards all.—Abraham prayed 
for Sodom and Gomorrha; Elias prayed for rain ; 
Judas Machabeus prayed and ordered sacrifices for 
the dead; Jesus prayed for all men. In the lives of 
the saints we find innumerable examples how they 
warded off temporal and spiritual evils, how they 
obtained temporal and spiritual blessings by prayer. 
Prayer is one of the principal duties of religious, 
and God only knows how many visitations of His 
wrath have been stayed by the prayers ascending to 
heaven from convents. An instance of this is found 
in the life of the Venerable Catherine Emmerich. 
From her earliest youth she prayed and suffered 
for all mankind. Whenever she was informed that 
someone had committed a sin, she prayed and did 
penance for the sinner. She often implored God to 
impose upon her the sufferings of others, and He 
granted her request. She had great compassion for 
the Suffering Souls, and spoke touchingly of their tor¬ 
ments and of the want of charity*shown towards them 
by the living. Even as a child she often remained 
whole nights in the cemetery praying for the Suffering 
Souls.—It is the object of our Fraternity to move as 
many as possible to prayer for the living and the dead, 
especially for parents, relatives, benefactors, etc.; in 
fact, for all who have need of prayer, such as the unfor¬ 
tunate, the sick, the dying, unbelievers, heretics, sin¬ 
ners, the Suffering Souls in Purgatory. The reward 
for this work of mercy will be exceedingly great. “Do 
good to the just, and thou shalt find great recompense.” 
(Eccli. XII. 2.) This is a consoling promise, but we 



550 The Archcotifraternity of the Most Preciotis Blood. 

must not forget that its reverse is also true. If God 
threatens us with punishment for the neglect of the 
other works of mercy, which require more or less 
sacrifice on our part, what will He do to those who 
neglect this work, which is so easily performed ?~And 
yet thousands live and die without caring to pray for 
either the living or the dead. In them shall be ful¬ 
filled the words of Christ, “With what measure you 
mete, it shall be measured to you again,” unless 
others supply the deficiency in their stead. And this 
is what the meriibers of our Fraternity aim to do. 
They fulfil not only their own obligation of praying 
for the living and the dead; but they also exhort 
others to do so. They are zealous promoters of the 
Archconfraternity of the Most Precious Blood for the 
Relief and Ransom of the Suffering Souls, bringing it 
into notice everywhere. They show the same zeal for 
the promotion of other pious associations and good 
works. The Director of the Fraternity is always glad 
to explain its obligations and benefits, and to receive 
members. Though of recent origin, the Fraternit}^ 
has already succeeded in gaining several thousand 
members for the Archconfraternity of the Most Pre¬ 
cious Blood, about fifteen thousand for the Confra¬ 
ternity of the Rosary, five thousand for the Archcon¬ 
fraternity of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, three 
thousand for the League of the Sacred Heart, etc. 
Thus does charity for our suffering brethren in Purga¬ 
tory, especially for the souls most forsaken, sanctify 
us, while at the same time it aids the Suffering Souls. 

lo. The Fraternity does not postpone its work of 
charity until after the burial, but begins it im¬ 
mediately after death. It endeavors to have the burial 


The Spiritual Be^ievolent Fraternity. 


551 


performed in a Christian-like manner by assisting 
towards a proper celebration of the funeral services; 
the members follow the corpse to the church and 
cemetery and pray for the repose of the soul. This is 
of greater benefit to the departed than costly mourn¬ 
ing apparel and a grand funeral display. Such dis¬ 
play at funerals is contrary to the spirit and practice of 
the Church ; it often causes sinful extravagance and 
defrauds both the departed soul and the living poor. 
Moreover it is senseless to place costly caskets in the 
ground there to moulder into dust, and to erect grand 
monuments to announce to all the world the survivors’ 
folly. “To what purpose such display for the dead?” 
asks St. Jerome. “Must vanity desecrate even your 
sorrow and tears?” True, the world does not regard 
this display as vanity; but if we conduct our funerals 
according to the full ceremonial of the Church, thereby 
to repair in a measure the injury done to the living 
and the dead by extravagant mourning pageants—oh, 
then it is scandalized ! 

To prevent sinful and scandalous extravagance at 
funerals, the members of the Fraternity are directed to 
observe if possible the following rules: i) They 
shall arrange their funerals according to the directions 
of the Church, disregarding for the greater glory of 
God the vain customs of the world. 2) They shall 
prefer that manner of funeral service which gives 
greater glory to God and hastens the relief of the de¬ 
parted soul. 3) They shall discountenance all ex¬ 
travagant display at funerals.—It is well-known that 
the contrary practice, which of late has become so to 
say the rule, often involves the family of the deceased 
in great expense ; and yet such extravagance is of no 







552 The Archconfraternity of the Most Precious Blood. 

Spiritual' or temporal benefit to either the living or the 
dead. Hence the members of the Fraternity volun¬ 
tarily renounce this display.—And must we not con¬ 
fess that if this Fraternity were introduced every¬ 
where, great good would result? The members re¬ 
nounce worldly pomp at their funerals, instead of 
which they aim to hasten the entrance of their de¬ 
ceased into eternal glory. Instead of great display 
and grand monuments they desire to have a solemn 
funeral service, thus giving glory to God and not to 
the corpse. They also if possible order a Mass for the 
third and seventh day, and observe the month’s mind. 
For all the members a Highmass is celebrated on the 
first Monday of each month. 

II. From all this it is obvious that the object of 
the Fraternity is to obtain speed}" relief and deliver¬ 
ance for the Suffering Souls. For the attainment of 
its object it makes use of prayer, of works of charity 
and penance, and of indulgences. Its greatest good 
however—of this there is no doubt— it achieves by 
means of Holy Mass. Our Lord came into this world 
to make atonement for us. He sacrificed Himself on 
Calvary for our sins, and made satisfaction for our 
guilt by His Most Precious Blood. And He renews 
this sacrifice of atonement in an unbloody manner in 
Holy Mass. He takes the sinner’s place, and obtains 
reconciliation for him from His Heavenly Father. 
The souls suffering in Purgatory are not excluded 
from this atonement; on the contrary, the better dis¬ 
posed they are, the greater relief they secure by it. 
The Most Precious Blood of the Divine Victim flows 
on them like a refreshing balm of consolation, easing 
their torments and hastening their release.—The Fra- 



The Spiritual Benevolent Fraternity. 553 

\ 

ternity, following the universal custom of the Church, 
makes it its special object to aid the most forsaken 
souls. For these seven Masses are celebrated every 
week for the intentions mentioned in the explanation 
of the seven spiritual works of mercy given above. 

12. Priests being mankind’s greatest benefactors, 
they are specially remembered. The more sublime 
the vocation, the greater the measure of grace, the 
stricter also will be the account to be rendered. God 
demands, that we should increase our talents by co¬ 
operation with His grace; and He will punish us 
most severely if we neglect to do so. The more a 
soul is favored with spiritual illumination and knowl¬ 
edge, the more rigorous will be its judgment. The 
priest may therefore expect on the one hand a greater re¬ 
ward and glory in heaven, while on the other he is in 
greater danger of being punished in Purgatory. Of this 
we are assured by many private revelations. For this 
reason priests who are members of the Fraternity pos¬ 
sess in it a most powerful means to assist the Poor Souls 
in the torments of Purgatory—a means, also, whereby 
they themselves can escape this dreadful punishment. 
The conscientious fulfilment of the duties of his state, 
zeal for the salvation of souls and for his own sancti¬ 
fication, devout celebration of Holy Mass—all this 
and more can the priest offer to God for his departed 
brethren; besides which he should often and zealously 
invoke the charity of the faithful for the Suffering 
Souls. One word to influence them for this purpose 
will be of great assistance to the work. And as to the 
faithful, they also can do much to help their deceased 
friends and spiritual benefactors, namely the priests, 
by assisting at Mass and having Mass celebrated for 




554 The Archconfraternity of the Most Precious Blood. 

the repose of their souls.—The noblest and most dur¬ 
able monument that can be raised by a congregation 
to the memory of a deceased pastor is the foundation 
of a monthly or yearly Mass for the repose of his soul, 
or the institution of some other charitable work for 
the same purpose. Priests are so easily and so often 
forgotten; and therefore they stand in the greatest 
need of assistance. Hence the Fraternity has Masses 
celebrated for them on the second, third and fourth 
Monday of each month. 

13. The stipends for the Masses are taken from 
the contributions and alms given by the members of 
the Fraternity. Priests also contribute by annually 
making a free offering of Masses for this purpose.— 
The annual contribution of a member is fixed at 
twenty-five cents, an alms so small that even the 
poorest person can afford to pay it. There are no 
prayers prescribed ; but the members are exhorted to 
say often if not daily the prayers of the Archconfra¬ 
ternity of the Most Precious Blood. A member of the 
Fraternity who does not belong to the Archconfra¬ 
ternity should nevertheless pray frequently for the 
Suffering Souls; and especially should he make it his 
practice to help the souls in Purgatory by often re¬ 
peating pious ejaculations. 

14. Contributions may be made in advance for 
five, ten or twenty years. Perpetual membership is 
secured by the payment once for all of twentj^-five 
dollars. 

The praternity also admits : 

i) Persons for whose salvation we are concerned. 
God often rewards our charity for the most forsaken 
souls in Purgatory by granting our prayers for the 
living on earth. 




Rules of the Spiritual Benevolent Fraternity. 


555 


2) Deceased persons, who as members share in all 
the Masses celebrated for the intentions of the Fra¬ 
ternity. 

3) Souls of unknown persons, whose selection we 
leave to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, to the Blessed 
Virgin Mary, to St. Joseph, to St. Anthony of Padua, 
etc. This is done in token of our gratitude, love and 
devotion to God and His saints for the many blessings 
received.—A most tender exhibition of charity, hav¬ 
ing its source in true love of God and man! 

The benefactors of this PVaternity enjoy a great 
personal gain by their contributions; for besides the 
special merit of their alms they share in all the Masses 
which the Fraternity orders to be said during the 
year, and this in consideration of their prayers and 
offerings as members of the Fraternity. And as 
the Fraternity is affiliated to the Archconfraternity of 
the Most Precious Blood, the members share also in 
the indulgences and privileges granted to that body as 
also in all the good works, etc., of the religious Orders 
and Congregations affiliated to the Archconfraternity. 
(Rescript of September 20, 1852.) 

IV. Rules of the Spiritual Benevolent Fraternity. 

Art. I. The Spiritual Benevolent Fraternity for 
the Relief and Ransom of the Suffering Souls was 
established, with the approbation of the Superiors, in 
the Chapel of St. Joseph’s College, Collegeville, 
Indiana. 

Art. II. The members of this Fraternity endeavor 
i) To promote the propagation of the Archconfra¬ 
ternity of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ for 



556 The Archconfrateryiity of the Most Precious Blood. 

the Relief and Ransom of the Suffering Souls ; 2) To 
practice zealously the spiritual works of mercy for the 
aid of the Suffering Souls ; 3) To discountenance by 
word and example all extravagant display at funerals, 
such as flowers, carriages, costly monuments, etc. 

Art. III. i) Seven Masses shall be said every 
week for all forsaken souls in Purgatory in general, 
and in particular for those souls that are suffering for 
the neglect of the spiritual works of mercy. 2), On the 
second, third and fourth Monday of each month a 
Mass shall be celebrated for deceased priests. 3) On 
the first Monday of each month a Highmass shall be 
celebrated for those living and deceased members who 
have-voluntarily renounced for themselves an extrava¬ 
gant funeral and monument, by doing which they 
have discountenanced this evil with regard to others. 

Art. IV. The Fraternity has these Masses cele¬ 
brated from the contributions received for this pur¬ 
pose. 

Art. V. The yearly contribution for membership 
is twenty-five cents, which entitles to a share in all the 
Holy Masses of the Fraternity. 

Art. VI. Every person collecting the contribu¬ 
tions of twenty members, or giving five dollars, is 
entitled to a diploma, which designates him as a 
^‘Benefactor of Christian Charity,” and as a special 
friend of the Suffering Souls.—By contributing five 
dollars a person becomes a member for twenty years ; 
and by contributing twenty-five dollars he becomes a 
perpetual member. 

Art. VII. The names of the members are inscribed 
in a special register. 




Rules of the Spiritual Benevolent Fraternity. 557 

N. B. The above rules were formulated and 
adopted for the Spiritual Benevolent Fraternity es¬ 
tablished in Collegeville, Ind. A branch Fraternity 
may be founded wherever there is a Catholic congre¬ 
gation, with the same or similar rules to govern it. 
The Masses should be said there where the coutributions 
are collected, or where the Rev. Pastor wishes to have them 
said. Names for membership and contributions for 
Masses are received at Collegeville only from such 
persons as cannot join a branch Fraternity. 

* > 1 . * 

According to His own solemn declaration our 
Blessed Lord, on the Last Day, will sit in judgment 
on the works of mercy performed by faith; and He 
will pronounce His sentence according to the faithful 
practice or sinful neglect of these works. Since cha¬ 
rity for the Suffering Souls includes all the works of 
mercy, it also includes the hope of receiving a gracious 
judgment. 

St. Francis of Sales declares that in this single 
work of nierc}^—charity for the faithful departed— 
all other works of mercy are included. “When by our 
prayers we obtain relief for the poor Suffering Souls 
in Purgatory, do we not in a manner visit the sick? 
Do we not give drink to those who thirst after the 
vision of God and who are enveloped by burning 
flames, when we share with them the dew of our 
prayers ? Do we not feed the hungry, when we aid in 
the deliverance of these souls by the means which 
faith suggests? Do we not truly ransom prisoners? 
Do we not clothe the naked, when we procure for 



558 The Archconfrateryiity of the Most Precious Blood. 

them a garment of light, a raiment of glory? Is it not 
an admirable degree of hospitality, to procure for them 
admission into the heavenly Jerusalem, and to make 
them fellow-citizens with the saints and domestics of 
God? Is it not a greater service to place souls in 
heaven than to bury bodies in the earth ? As to the 
spiritual works of mercy, is this charitable assistance 
of the Poor Souls not a work whose merit may be 
compared with those of counseling the doubtful, cor¬ 
recting sinners, instructing the ignorant, forgiving 
offences and bearing wrongs patiently? And may the 
consolation given to the afflicted in this world be ever 
so great: what is it when compared with the solace 
brought by our prayers to those Poor Souls who have 
such bitter need of our help?” {Spirit of St. Francis 
of Sales. II. 12.) 

Besides the general duty which we all have of 
praying for the Suffering Souls, each one of us also has 
personal obligations towards deceased parents, rela¬ 
tives, friends and benefactors.—To these in particular 
are applied the words of Job, quoted in the Office of the 
Dead: “Have pity on me, have pity on me, at least 
you my friends ; for the hand of the Lord hath touched 
me.” 

Oh, let us not be deaf to this plaintive cry for help, 
ascending to us day and night from the depth of the 
fiery furnace of Purgatory ! 



APPENDIX II. 



Prayers for the Suffering Souls. 


I. Seven Offerings of the Most Precious Blood. 

O Heavenly Father ! Have mercy on all Suffering 
Souls in Purgatory for whom Thine only begotten Son 
came down from Heaven and took human nature to 
Himself. For the sake of this Thy Divine Son pardon 
their guilt and release them from punishment. 

•i. Eternal Father ! I offer Thee the merit of the 
Precious Blood of Jesus, Thy well-beloved Son, my 
Savior and my God, for my dear Mother, the Holy 
Church, that she may enlarge her borders and be 
magnified in all the nations of the earth; for the 
safety and well-being of her visible head, the Sovereign 
Roman Pontiff; for the cardinals, bishops and pastors 
of souls, and for all ministers of Thy sanctuary. 

Glory be to the Father, etc. 

Blessing and thanksgiving be to Jesus : 

Who with His Blood has saved us! 

2. Eternal Father ! I offer Thee the merit of the 
Precious Blood of Jesus, Thy well-beloved Son, my 
Savior and my God, for peace and union among all 
Catholic kings and princes, for the humiliation of the 
enemies of our holy faith, and for the welfare of all 
Christian people. 

Glory be to the Father, etc. 

Blessing and thanksgiving, etc. 

3. Eternal Father ! I offer Thee the merit of the 
Precious Blood of Jesus, Thy well-beloved Son, my 

( 561 ) 37 * 



562 The Archconfrater7iity of the Most Precious Blood. 

Savior and my God, for the repentance of unbelievers, 
for the up-rooting of heresy, and the conversion of 
sinners. 

Glory be to the Father, etc. 

Blessing and thanksgiving, etc. 

4. Eternal Father ! I offer Thee the merit of the 
Precious Blood of Jesus, Thy well-beloved Son, my 
Savior and my God, for all my kindred, friends, and 
enemies, for the poor, the sick and wretched, and for 
all those for whom Thou, my God, knowest that I 
ought to pray, or wouldst have me pray. 

Glory be to the Father, etc. 

Blessing and thanksgiving, etc. • 

5. Eternal Father ! I offer Thee the merit of the 
Precious Blood of Jesus, Thy well-beloved Sou, m}^ 
Savior and my God, for all who, this'day, are passing 
to the other life; that Thou wouldst save them 
from the pains of hell, and admit them quickly to the 
possession of Thy glory. 

Glory be to the Father, etc. 

Blessing and thanksgiving, etc. 

6. Eternal Father ! I offer Thee the merit of the 
Precious Blood of Jesus, Thy well-beloved Son, my 
Savior and my God, for all those who love this great 
treasure, for those who join with me in adoring it and 
honoring it, and who strive to spread devotion to it. 

Glory be to the Father, etc. 

Blessing and thanksgiving, etc. 

7. Eternal Father ! I offer Thee the merit of the 
Precious Blood of Jesus, Thy well-beloved Son, my 
Savior and my God, for all my wants, spiritual and 
temporal, in aid of the Holy Souls in Purgatory, and 
chiefly for those who most loved this Blood, the price 


Litany of the Most Precious Blood. 


563 


of our redemption, and who were most devout to the 
sorrows and pains of most holy Mary, our dear 
Mother. 

Glory be to the Father, etc. 

Blessing and thanksgiving, etc. 

EJACULATION. 

Glory be to the Blood of Jesus: now and forever, 
and throughout all ages. Amen. 

The Sovereign Pontiff, Pius VII., by a rescript, dated 
September 22d, 1817, granted to all the faithful, every 
time they make these oflferings devoutly and with 
contrite hearts, and say the “Glory be to the Father,” 
etc. seven times, and the ejaculation seven times, as 
also the ejaculation, “Glory be to the Blood,” etc. once 
at the end, with the intention of thereby making 
reparation for all the outrages which are done to the 
Precious Blood of Jesus : 

An indulgence of three hundred days. 

A plenary indulgence once a month, to all who 
have said them every day for a month, on any day, 
when after confession and communion they pray for 
the intention of the Sovereign Pontiff. 

II. Litany of the Most Precious Blood. 

Lord, have mercy on us! 

Christ, have mercy on us! 

Lord, have mercy on us! 

Christ, hear us! 

Christ, graciously hear us! 

God, the Father of heaven ! Have 7 nercy on us ! 


5G4 The Archconfraternity of the Most Precious Blood. 

God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, Have mercy^ etc. 
God, the Holy Ghost, Have mercy on us ! 

Holy Trinity, one God, Have mercy 07 i us ! 

Most Precious Blood of my Redeemer, 

Blood of the new, eternal Testament, 

Price of our redemption. 

Fountain of living waters. 

Precious ransom of sinners. 

Pledge of eternal salvation. 

Sacrifice to eternal justice. 

Key to the gates of heaven. 

Purification of our poor souls. 

Salvation in our misery. 

Remedy for our wounds. 

Forgiveness of our sins. 

Payment for our debts, 

Remission of our punishment, 

Source of salvation, 

Hope of the poor. 

Nourishment of the weak, 

Healing balm for the sick. 

Reconciliation of sinners. 

Joy of the just. 

Refuge of all Christians, 

Admiration of the angels. 

Consolation of the patriarchs. 

Expectation of the prophets. 

Strength of the apostles, 

Confidence of the martyrs. 

Justification of confessors. 

Sanctification of virgins, 

Refreshment of the Suffering Souls, 

Beatitude of all saints. 


Cleanse them, O Most Precious Blood! 




Litany of the Most Precious Blood, 


5G5 


Be merciful, Spare the^n, O Jesus ! 

Be merciful, Hear them, O Jesus ! 

From all evil. Deliver them, O Jesus ! 

From Thy wrath. 

From the rigor of Thy justice, 

From remorse of conscience. 

From their great sorrow. 

From the torment of fire. 

From utter darkness, 

From their moaning and lamentation. 

Through this Thy Most Precious Blood, 

Through this great price of our redemption. 

Through the Sacred Blood shed in Thy circum¬ 
cision. 

Through the Sacred Blood shed on Mount Olivet, 
Through the Sacred Blood shed in maltreatment 
by Thy enemies, 

Through the Sacred Blood shed in Thy scourging. 
Through the Sacred Blood shed in Thy crowning 
with thorns. 

Through the Sacred Blood shed in Thy carrying 
of the cross. 

Through the Sacred Blood shed when despoiled 
of Thy garments. 

Through the Sacred Blood shed in Thy cruci¬ 
fixion, 

Through the Sacred Blood shed on the cross. 
Through the Sacred Blood shed when the spear 
pierced Thy holy side. 

Through the Sacred Blood daily offered in Mass, 

Poor Sinners, We beseech Thee to hear us ! 

Who didst absolve Mar)^ and the Good Thief, We be¬ 
seech Thee to hear us ! 




Deliver them 




5G6 . The Archconfraternity of the Most Precious Blood. 

Who savest us through Thy grace, 

Who hast power over death and Purgatory, 

That Thou wouldst spare the Suffering Souls, 

That Thou wouldst release from the torments of 
Purgatory the souls of our parents, relatives, 
friends and benefactors, 

That Thou wouldst have mercy on the souls that 
are not remembered on earth. 

That Thou wouldst grant eternal rest to the souls 
of all the faithful departed. 

That Thou wouldst still their yearning. 

That Thou wouldst cleanse them in Thy Sacred 
Blood, 

That Thou wouldst release them through it from 
their torments, 

That Thoii wouldst grant them through it Thy 
beatific vision, 

Thou King of awful majesty. 

Thou Son of God, 

O Tanib of God, who takest away the sins of the world, 
Eteryial rest grant unto them ! 

O Tamb of God, etc., Eteryial rest grayit uyito theyyi! 

O Tamb of God, etc., Eteryial rest grant unto them ! 
Christ, hear us ! Christ, graciously hear us! 

Our Father, etc. Hail Mary, etc. 

V. From the gates of hell: 

F. Deliver them, O Lord! 

V. Lord, hear my prayer : 

It. And let my cry come unto Thee! 

LET us pray: 

We beseech Thee, O Lord, let the souls of Thy 
servants be cleansed in the Most Precious Blood of 


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The IVay of the Cross. 


5G7 


Thy Son and through the merits of His sacred Pas¬ 
sion, that, being delivered from Purgatory, they may 
forever behold and praise Thee, their last end and 
object. Amen. 

III. The Way of the Cross. 

From the earliest ages Christians went as pilgrims 
to the Holy Land to venerate the places hallowed by 
the presence of our Lord, and especially those bedewed 
with His Most Precious Blood during His bitter Passion 
and death. In order that such of the faithful as are 
unable to visit the Holy Land may be led on to con¬ 
template often and devoutly the sufferings of Jesus, it 
became customary in the course of time to set up 
fourteen stations reminding us of these sufferings, and 
to recite appropriate prayers at every .such station. 
This devotion, according to the declaration of Pope 
Benedict XIV., is the most excellent even among 
those that have for their object the sufferings of Christ, 
because it is especially adapted to rouse sinners from 
the sleep of sin, to stir up the careless and the luke¬ 
warm, and to encourage the good to strive for greater 
perfection. The Popes have enriched it with numer¬ 
ous indulgences, applicable also to the souls in 
Purgatory; hence this devotion is most effective in 
obtaining their release. The devotion of the Way. of 
the Cross was the almost continual pious exercise of 
St. Benedict Labre, by which he attained great sanctity; 
and St. Leonard of Port Maurice, a great promoter of 
this practice in Rome, was wont to say that this 
devotion alone is sufficient to sanctify a parish, and to 
obtain for it also extraordinary temporal favors. 


568 The Archcojifraternity of the Most Precious Blood. 

By the devout visitation of the stations or the 
Wa}^ of the Cross we can gain all the indulgences 
granted for the personal visitation of the Holy Land ; 
that is, of the stations or Way of the Cross in Jerusalem. 
St. Leonard of Port Maurice observes: “True, w’e 
cannot gain more than one plenary indulgence for 
ourselves; yet, by gaining the others granted for this 
devotion and offering them for the souls in Purgatory, 
we can every time release a great number of these 
souls from their torments. We must remember, how¬ 
ever, that it is necessary to make this intention for 
the Suffering Souls at the beginning, or at least before 
the end of this pious service.” 

To gain these indulgences two things are neces¬ 
sary : i) We must actually visit the stations of the 
cross canonically erected. Where the church is 
crowded, a simple motion of the body, such as rising 
and kneeling down at each station, suffices at a public 
devotion of the stations. 2) When visiting the sta¬ 
tions, we must meditate on the sufferings of our Lord. 
Those who cannot meditate may to the best of their 
ability dwell with their thoughts on the sufferings of 
our Lord. It is recommended, but not necessary, to 
say an Our Father and Hail Mary at each station. 

The Stations of the Cross for the Stifferhig Souls, 

O Jesus, my Lord and my God! To honor Thy 
Most Precious Blood, Thy Divine Sacred Heart and 
Thy Most Holy and sweet Name ; to honor also Thy 
most Sorrowful Mother and all the Saints, I will now 
contemplate Thy bitter Passion and death; and I have 
the intention of thereby gaining all the holy indul¬ 
gences granted for this exercise : first, one for myself. 


The Way of the Cross. 


5G9 


and the rest for the souls in Purgatory, especially for 
those most forsaken. Assist me with Thy grace 
through the intercession of Thy Blessed Mother and 
of the Saints. 

Eternal Father, we offer up to Thee the Most 
Precious Blood of Jesus Christ, the sufferings of the 
Blessed Virgin Mary and of St. Joseph, in satisfaction 
for our sins, for the wants of Holy Mother Church, 
and for the conversion of sinners. 

Indulgence of one hundred days, once a day. (Pius 
IX., April 30, i860.) 

Before every station the subject is announced, viz : 
“First station Jesus is condemned to death,” etc. 

After announcing the title of the station, say : 

Eternal Father! I offer Thee the Precious Blood 
of Jesus, in satisfaction for my sins, and for the wants 
of Holy Church. 

Indulgence of one hundred days to all the faithful 
every time they say this ejaculation devoutly 
and with contrite hearts. (Pius VII., September 22, 
1817.) 

Then say ten times : 

My Jesus, mercy ! 

Indulgence of one hundred days, every time. (Pius 
IX., September 24, 1846.) 

At the end of each station say: 

Eternal rest grant to them, O Lord, and let per¬ 
petual light shine upon them. May they rest in 
peace. Amen. 

Indulgence of two hundred days, once a day. 
(Leo XIII., August 19, 1880.) 

By this method both the indulgences granted for 
the above prayers, and those granted for visiting the 


570 The Archconfraternity of the Most Precious Blood. 

stations, may be gained : thus we obtain a great treas¬ 
ure for ourselves and for the Suffering Souls. 

The visit of the stations must be made without a 
notable interruption. 

Statio 7 i Crosses. 

All those who are sick, all who are in prison, or at 
sea, or in infidel countries, or are prevented in any 
other way from visiting the stations of the Way of 
the Cross where they are erected, may gain the indul¬ 
gences by saying devoutly and with contrite hearts 
the Ozir Father., the Hail Mary, and the Glory be to 
the Father, each fourteen times according to the num¬ 
ber of the stations, and at the end of these the Oiir 
Father, the Hail Mary, and the Glory be to the Father, 
each five times in honor of the five Wounds of our 
Lord, and again one 02 ir Father, one Hail Mary, and 
one Glory be to the Father, for the Sovereign Pontiff. 
While saying these prayers, they must hold in their 
hands a crucifix of brass, or of any other solid sub¬ 
stance, which has been blessed by the Father General 
of the Order of Friars Minor Observants, or by a 
Father Provincial, or by any Father Guardian, Praeses 
or Vicar, subject to the same Father General, or by any 
priest, Franciscan or not, to whom the faculty of im¬ 
parting this blessing has been given by the General. 
If the twenty Our Fathers, Hail Marys, and Glory, 
etc. be said by several together, though but one hold 
the crucifix in his hand, and the others, not being en¬ 
gaged in any other work, recollect themselves for the 
prayers, they all gain the indulgences of the Way of 
the Cross. This favor was granted or rather con¬ 
firmed by Pope Clement XIV. January 26, 1773, in 


The Way of the Cross. 


571 


compliance with a petition addressed to the Holy 
Father by the Reformed Franciscans; by Pius IX., 
August iith, 1863, and by Leo XIII., by rescripts of 
the S. Congregation of Indulgences, January 19th and 
March 15th, 1884. 

It is also to be observed that these crucifixes, 
after being thus blessed and indulgenced, cannot be 
sold or given away, or lent to others for the purpose 
of enabling them to gain the indulgences of the Way 
of the Cross. 

On the. 19th of August, 1890, His Holiness Pope 
Leo XIII. moreover granted the following privilege: 
Those so grievously ill that they cannot without not¬ 
able interruption say the twenty Our Fathers^ etc. 
mentioned above, may gain the indulgences by saying 
devoutly and with contrite hearts: “We beseech 
Thee, O Lord, come to the aid of Thy servants, whom 
Thou hast redeemed by Thy Most Precious Blood 
and they must also say at least in their hearts three 
Our Fathers., Hail Marys, and Glory, etc. with some 
other person reciting these prayers with them. 

As mentioned above, these station crosses must be 
crucifixes, duly indulgenced by a Franciscan Father 
having the faculty.— The Redemptorist Fathers have 
the faculty of blessing simple crosses without an 
image of our Savior, and of applying to them the 
indulgences of the stations. Persons having such 
crosses may say before them, without holding them in 
their hands, fourteen Our Fathers, etc.; or they may 
make a short meditation on the Passion of our Lord.— 
Station crucifixes are attached to all the rosaries 
distributed gratis by the Spiritual Benevolent Fra¬ 
ternity. 



572 The Archconfrater^iiiy of the Most Precious Blood. 

IV. The Holy Rosary. 

I. We should make it a practice to say the Rosary 
every day, because this prayer is most pleasing to 
Mary; it is recommended urgently by the Church, 
and is a source of blessings for us. Moreover, it is a 
most efficacious means of helping the Suffering Souls 
in Purgatory. If we cannot say the entire Rosarj^ 
ever}^ day, let us say at least a part of it. We shall 
thereby merit the special protection of the Blessed 
Virgin Mary in life and death.—For the prayer of the 
Rosary we ought to use beads blessed and indulgenced 
properly for the purpose. Then we can gain the 
following indulgences : 

I. For the Rosary of St. Dojuinic: i) One hun¬ 
dred days for each Oiir Father and for each Hail 
Mary, if we say devoutly and wdthout notable inter¬ 
ruption at least five decades, meanwhile meditating on 
the mysteries.—2) A plenary indulgence once a year 
for all those who have said at least five decades every 
day for a year. Conditions: confession, communion 
and a contrite prayer for the usual intentions, the 
latter to be said on the day chosen for gaining the 
indulgence. (Benedict XIII., April 13, 1726.)—3) An 
indulgence of ten years and ten quarantines, once a 
day; and a plenary indulgence on the last Sunday in 
every month—both these indulgences to be gained by 
those who say at least the third part of the Rosary, 
when it is recited m common. For the gaining of the 
plenary indulgence the third part of the Rosaiy must 
be said at least three times every week. Further con¬ 
ditions : confession, communion, visit of a church or 
public oratory, and prayer for the intentions of the 


The Holy Rosary. 


573 


Holy Father. To gain the indulgences of the Rosary 
when recited in common, it is necessary for only one 
to hold the beads; but the others must join in the 
prayer after having laid aside every other accupation. 

2. For the Confraternity of the Rosary. The spirit¬ 
ual favors granted to the members of this most 
salutary Confraternity are very numerous. They are 
mentioned at length in the diploma of admission ; here 
we give only a brief summary : a) An indulgence of 
five years and five quarantines for the devout mention 
of the name of Jesus in each Hail Mary; b) fifty 
3^ears for the recitation of the Rosary of five decades 
in a church or before an altar of the Confraternity ; c) 
a plenary indulgence as often as they say the Rosary 
of fifteen decades without a notable interruption ; d) 
a notable indulgence for devoutlj^ bearing the beads 
about their persons.—On the feast of the Holy Rosary, 
first Sunday in October, not only the members, but all 
the faithful can gain a plenary indulgence, provided 
they fulfil the conditions prescribed : confession, com¬ 
munion, visit to the chapel of the Rosar}^ in a church 
wherein the Confraternity is canonically erected, and 
prayer during this visit for the intentions of the Pope. 
This indulgence may be gained toties quoties; that is, 
as often as the visits and pra3^ers are repeated from 
Saturday afternoon about two o’clock until Sunday 
evening. These visits must be made seperate one 
from the other by leaving the church every time. If 
a person cannot enter the chapel of the Rosary, it will 
be sufficient to see it from a distance. The prayers 
may be said kneeling, standing or sitting. Every 
member of the Confraternity who belongs to a religious 
community, to a college or association, can gain this 


574 The Archconfraternity of the Most Precious Blood. 

« 

indulgence by visiting the chapel of the community 
or association. (Pius IX., February 8, 1874.)—This 
precious indulgence, like every other indulgence of the 
Rosary, is applicable to the souls in Purgatory. (S. C. 
Ind., July 12, 1847.) 

3. For the Rosary of the Crocier Canons: An in¬ 
dulgence of five hundred days for every Our Father 
or Hail Mary said on such beads as are blessed by these 
Fathers, and as often as these prayers are said. A 
meditation on the mysteries is not required. (Leo X., 
August 20th, 1516; Leo XIII., March 15, 1884.) 

“4. For the Beads of St. Bridget: One hundred 
days for each Our Father and Hail Mary. This 
Rosary consists of six divisions, each containing one 
Our Father^ ten Hail Marys and a Creed. After these 
six divisions another Our Father is added to complete 
the number seven, in honor of Mary’s joys and sor¬ 
rows. Finally three Hail Marys are added.—There 
are several more indulgences, plenary and partial ; 
but like the one already mentioned the}’’ can only be 
gained by saying the prayers on beads specially blessed 
for the purpose. 

5. The Papal I?idulge?ices, among them a plenary 
indulgence for the hour of death, are often joined to 
the blessed beads. 

One and the same Rosary-beads can be blessed for 
several kinds of indulgences; for instance, the cross 
on it can receive the Papal indulgences, the indul¬ 
gence for the hour of death, and those of the stations 
of the Cross. The beads can be blessed for the Papal, 
the Dominican and the Crosier Canons’ indulgences; 
but by one recitation only one kind of indulgence can 
be gained, namely those indulgences for the gaining 
of which we make the intention. 


Ejaculatofy Prayers With Indulgences. 


575 


A blessed object cannot be sold after being blessed 
and indulgenced; and after once being used it can 
also not be loaned or presented to anybody ; if this is 
done, it loses the indulgences. 

The rosaries with crucifixes attached, distributed 
gratis by the ^Spiritual Benevolent Fraternity, are all 
indulgenced as above explained. All these indul¬ 
gences are applicable to the Suffering Souls. 

V. Ejaculatory Prayers With Indulgences for the 

Suffering Souls. 

The friends of the Suffering Souls should accus¬ 
tom themselves to the frequent use of ejaculatory 
prayers. These aspirations, having their source in 
the Holy Spirit, are calculated to give us light, 
strength and consolation. We subjoin the following, 
for all of which indulgences applicable to the Holy 
Souls have been granted, which may be gained re¬ 
peatedly during the day. The prayers are always to 
be said devoutly and with contrite heart. 

/. hididgejice of Twenty-five Days. 

1. For the invocation of the Most Holy Name of 
Jesus. —Also a plenary indulgence at the hour of 
death for its repeated invocation during life. (Clem¬ 
ent XHI., Sept. 5, 1759.) 

2. For the invocation of the Holy Name of 
Mary. (Clement XIII., Sept. 5, 1759.) 


576 The Archconfraternity of the Most Precious Blood. 


II. Indulgence of Fifty Days. 

•> 

1. For the sign of the Cross: In the name of 
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. 
Amen. (Pius IX., July 28, 1863.) 

2. Praise be to Jesus Christ: Forever, or. Amen.— 
The indulgence is gained by both the one saying, and 
the one responding to this ejaculation. (Clement 
XIII., Sept. 5, 1759-) 

3. Praise to Jesus and Mary: To-day and ever¬ 
more. (Pius IX., September 26, 1864.) 

4. Jesus, my God, I love Thee above all things. 
(Pius IX., May 7, 1854.) 

5. My sweetest Jesus, be not my Judge, but my 
Savior! (Pius IX., August ii, 1851.) 

Plenary indulgence for the daily recital of this 
ejaculation, on the feast of St. Jerome Aemiliani 
(July 20), or on any day during the octave. The 
usual conditions: confession, communion, visit of a 
church or public oratory, and prayer for the intentions 
of the Pope. (Pius IX., Nov. 29, 1853.) 

III. Indidgejice of Oyte Himdred Days. 

1. For using Holy Water and at the same time 
making the sign of the Cross. (Pius IX., March 23, 
1866.) 

2. Eternal Father ! I offer Thee the Precious 
Blood of Jesus, in satisfaction for my sins, and for the 
wants of Holy Church. (Pius VII., September 22, 
1817.) 

3. My Jesus, mercy! (Pius IX., September 24, 
1846.) 


Ejaculatory Prayers With Indulgences. 


577 


This ejaculation was used frequently by St. Leon¬ 
ard of Port Maurice, especially when assisting the 
sick who could not join in long prayers. 

4. Angel of God, my guardian dear. 

To whom His love commits me here. 

Ever this day be at my side. 

To light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen. 

^ A plenary indulgence on the feast of the Holy 
Guardian Angels, October 2d, and at the hour of 
death for those who have said it morning and even¬ 
ing throughout the year. A plenary indulgence once ' 
a month, if said every day. Conditions: confession, 
communion and prayer for the intentions of the Pope. 
(Pius VH., May 15, 1821.) 

IV, I 7 idulge 7 ice of Three Hu 7 idred Days. 

1. O sweetest Heart of Jesus I implore 

That I may love Thee ever more and more. 

A plenary indulgence once a month, if said every 
day. Conditions as above. (Pius IX., Nov. 26, 1876.) 

2. Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation ! 

A plenar}^ indulgence once a month, if said every 
day. Conditions as above. (Pius IX., Sept. 30, 1852.) 

3. Blessed be the holy and Immaculate Concep¬ 
tion of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary ! (Leo. XIH., 
September 10, 1878.) 

4. Jesus, Mary and Joseph ! I give you my heart 
and my soul! 

Jesus, Mary and Joseph ! Assist me in my last 
agony! 

Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Grant that I may die 
in peace in your company! 


/ 


777 9^7 


177 


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u 


578 The Archconfraternity of the Most Precious Blood, 

Also, one hundred days for each of these ej^(5ii& 
tions, separately.—(Pius VII., April 28, 1827.) 

The invocations mentioned last may also be said in 
the form of a Rosary, thus: Instead of the Our Father 
say the acts of faith, hope and charity, for which there is 
granted an indulgence of seven years and seven quar¬ 
antines, and a plenarj^ indulgence once a month on 
the usual conditions. (Benedict XIV., January 28, 
1756.) —Instead of the ten Hail Marys say each time 
one of the invocations; at the end of each decade. 
Glory be to the Father, etc., or. Eternal rest, etc. Thus 
you may continue through five decades. 


May the Souls of All the 
Faithful Departed Through the Mercy 
OF God rest in Peace ! Amen. 











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